P**************************t tit* · mental approach to school guidance. Notable in his exposi-tion is his focus on a program rather than a services approach. In the services

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Gysbers, Norman C.; And OthersComprehensive Guidance Programs That Work.ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and PersonnelServices, Ann P-bor, Mich.Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),Washington, DC.ISBN-1-56109-001-890

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MF01/PC08 Plus Postage.*Developmental Programs; Elementary SecondaryEducation; *Guidance Programs; Models; ProgramDevelopment; *Program Improvement; *SchoolCounselors; *School Guidance

IDENTIFIERS *Comprehensive Guidance

ABSTRACTThis monograph describes how the comprehensive

guidance model is transforming elementary-secondary school guidanceand counseling programs in schools across the country. Itincorporates the ideas and experiences of 12 guidance programdevelopers in the actual use of the comprehensive guidance model indiverse scaool and cultural settings. The book is intended as asource of ideas, resources, and procedures to help state and localguidance and administrative personnel remodel and revitalize guidancein their schools. Papers included are: (1) "A Model ComprehensiveGuidance Program" (Norman C. Gysbers); (2) "Missouri ComprehensiveGuidance--A Model for Program Development, Implementation andEvaluation" (Robert J. Larivee and Marion F. Starr); (3)"Comprehensive Guidance in Alaska" (Jamie Buckner and MarieMacKenzie); (4) "Comprehensive Guidance in Montgomery County,Maryland" (John P. eoodloe); (5) "The Comprehensive Guidance Programin San Antonio" (Patricia Henderson); (6) "Guidance and CounselingNew Hampshire Style" (Josephine B. Hayslip and James V. Carr); (7)"The Comprehensive Guidance Program in St. Joseph, Missouri" (Mark H.Hargens and Jean T. JJhnson); (8) "An Effective Guidance andCounseling Program in Lincoln, Nebraska" (John Dudley); (9) "TheComprehensive Guidance Model at Hillsboro High School" (GloriaMorgan); and (10) "Afterthoughts" (Norman C. Gysbers). (413)

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IV

ComprehensiveGuidancePrograms

That Work

Norman C. Gysbersand

Jamie BucknerJames V. CarrJohn DudleyJohn P. GoodloeMark H. HargensJosephine B. Hays lip

Patrick % HendersonJean T. JohnsonRobert J. LariveeMarie MacKenzieGloria MorganMarion F. Starr

ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse2108 School of Education

The University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan 48109-1259

.3

Copyright © 1990 by ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse

All rights reserved.

ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse2108 School of EducationThe University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI 48109-1259

ISBN 1-56109-001-8

This publication was prepared with pi:. tial funding from the Office of EducationalResearch and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education under contract no.RI88062011. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect thepositions or policies of OERI, the Department of Education, or ERIC/CAPS.

ERIC' ®4

Contents

Introduction vii

About the Author ix

Contributors xi

Chapter 1: A Model Comprehensive Guidance Program 1

Norman C. Gysbers

Introduction 1

Traditional Organizational Patterns 3The Origin of a Program Model 5A Description of the Program Model 8Program Structure, Processes & Time , 11Figure 1: Elements of a Model Guidance Program 12Putting It All Together 23Some Final Thoughts 24References 24

Chapter 2: Missouri Comprehensive GuidanceA Model for Program Development, Implementationand Evaluation 27Robert J. Larivee and Marion F. Starr

Introduction 27Purpose and Rationale 28What Is the Missouri Model 29Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Prozram Definition 30Our Process of Change 31Future Direction of the Missouri ComprehensiveGuidance Program Model 36Conclusion 36

iii

iv COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Chapter 3: Comprehensive Guidance in Alaska 39Jamie Buckner and Marie MacKenzie

Historical Perspective of Guidance and Counseling in Alaska 39Search for and Choice of a Model 41Strategies Alaska Used in Gaining Adoption of the Model 43Selection and Training of Field-test Sites 50State Department Technical Assistance 50Project Successes 51Future Plans 54Advice to New Implementers 57Resources 62

Chapter 4: Comprehensive Guidance inMontgomery County, Maryland 63John P. Goodloe

Introduction 63County Needs and Program Adoption 65Strategies for Adopting the Comprehensive Guidance Model 67Program Eva liv.tion and Next Steps 71What Plans and Goals Do We Contemplate for the Future? 74What Advice Do We Offer to New Implementers? 75Summary 77

Chapter 5: The Comprehensive Guidance Programin San Antonio 79Patricia Henderson

Introduction 79Attractiveness of the Model 80Strategy Used in Gaining Adoption of the Model 82Table 1. Northside Independent School District Percent

of Counselors' lime Spent With Clients in theCurrent Guidance Program (1983) and That inthe Desired Program (1986) 85

How the Program Functions iii Our District 88Table 2. Desired Percentages for Allocation of Counselors'

Time by Component 88Successes of the Program to Date 95Plans and Goals for the Future 98Advice to New Implementers 100References 102

6

Contents v

Chapter 6: Guidance and CounselingNew Hampshire Style 103Josephine B. Hayslip and James V Carr

Introduction 103Strategic; Used to Gain Adoption of the Model 104Obstacles 106Review Procedures 107What Aspects of the Model Were Especially Well Received? 108Some Difficult Areas 109Role of the Counselor in the Adoption Process 110How the Program Functions in New Hampshire 110The Success of the Program to Date 111Some Problems and Challenges 112Measures of Success 113Plans and Goals Contemplated for the Future 114Advice for Those About to Implement a

Comprehensive Program 115References 116

Chapter 7: The Comprehensive GuidanceProgram in St. Joseph, Missouri 117Mark H. Hargens and Jean T. Johnson

Introduction 117The Change Process . 118Developing the Model 120Transition 122Table 1. Guidance Program Structure, St. Joseph

Guidance Services, % of Time 123Addition of Evaluations 124Problems with the Process 125Future Plans 126Summary 126References 127Appendix A. Sampl Middle School Program (Johnson, 1985) 128

Chapter 8: An Effective Guidance and CounselingProgram in Lincoln, Nebraska 131John Dudley

Introduction 131Review/Evaluation of Current Program 132

7

Vi COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Assessment 134Restructured Models 135Current Program 136Keys to Program Change 137Conclusion 138Appendix A: Lincoln Public Schools Counselor

Performance Summative Appraisal 141Appendix B: 1988-89 Guidance Plan, Lincoln Public Schools 145

Chapter 9: The Comprehensive GuidanceModel at Hillsboro High Fchool 157Gloria Morgan

Introduction 157Expect Resistance to Change 158Develop a Public Relations Program 159Assessing the Current Program 160Developing the Guidance Curriculum 161Peer HelpingiTutoring 163Advisement Program 163Future Goals 16-4Concluding Thoughts 164

Chapter 10: Afterthoughts 167Norman C. Gysbers

Position to Program 168Program Axioms 168Perseverance 169Leadership 170Concluding Thoughts 170

8

Introduction

Few topics are as important to school counselors as how toorganize their school guidance program. Both experienceand research suggest that a laissez faire or unsystematicapproach to the organization of guidance services can bluntthe inherent impact and effectiveness of school guidanceand counseling. When school guidance and counseling isorganized to meet specific goals and objectives and carefulattention is directed towards ".vho will accomplish what,"the evidence suggests that both the deliverers (counselorsand school faculty) and students and parents are moresatisfied.

In this monograph, Norm Gysbers presents the mostextensive development to date of a comprehensive, develop-mental approach to school guidance. Notable in his exposi-tion is his focus on a program rather than a servicesapproach. In the services approach, guidance becomesposition oriented resulting in it being seen as an ancillarysupport where counselors are expected to do whatever "is ofservice to somebody." The program approach clearly articu-lated in this monograph utilizes four interactive com-ponents: guidance curriculum, individual planning, respon-sive services and system support. Built upon the life/careerdevelopment concept (self-development over a person's lifespan), the program approach provides the breadth and depthof knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by today's youthto function in our complex and changing society.

Unlike many innovative approaches that arc the brain-child of a single person, this monograph incorporates theideas and experience of 12 guidance program developers inthe actual use of the comprehensive guidance model indiverse school and cultural settings. These developersprovide invaluable insights into how to customize the modelto fit a particular school setting and offer specific, practicalsuggestions on how to make the comprehensive guidanceprogram model work.

D

Few topics are asimportant toschool counselorsas how toorganize theirschool guidanceprogram.

...the programapproach providesthe breadth anddepth ofknowledge, skillsand attitudesneeded by today'syouth to functionin our complexand changingsociety.

vii

Viii COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE P,Cir,RAMS THAT WORK

In t, s.his monograph has what all counselors lookfor K wn want to improve their counseling programasolid idea with practical suggestions for how to implement aprogram and make it work.

Norm and his field writers are to be congratulated forhaving written an exceptionally useful book on a topic ofcritical interest. It is a most fitting choice as the first of thecrème de la crème series presenting the "best" in thecounseling field.

Garry R. WalzDirector, ERIC /CAPS

10

About the Author

Norman C. Gysbers is Professor of Educational andCounseling Psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is also the editor of the Journal of CareerDevelopment. He has written 34 journal articles, 4 booksand 10 chapters in recently published books.

Contributors

Jamie Buckner is the School Counseling ProgramCoordinator fcr the South East Regional Resource Center inJuneau, Alaska.

James V. Carr is the Vocational Guidance Consultant at theNew Hampshire Department of Education in Concord.

John Dudley is the Administrator of Guidance andCounseling for the Lincoln, Nebraska Public Schools.

John P. Good loe is Supervisor of Guidance Services for theMontgomery County, Maryland Public Schools.

Mark H. Hargens is Director of Pupil Personnel Servicesfor the St. Joseph, Missouri School District.

Josephine B. Hays lip is an Associate Professor in theEducation Department at Plymouth State College inPlymouth New Hampshire.

Patricia Henderson is Director of Guidance at the North-side Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas.

Jean T. Johnson is a high school counselor with theSt. Joseph, Missouri School District and is President of theMissouri School Counselor Association.

Pobert J. Larivee is Director of Special Needs andGuidance Services in the Missouri Department of Elemen-tary aid Secondary Education in Jefferson City.

Marie MacKenzie is a former secondary school counselorand was Alaska Counselor of the Year in 1982. She cur-rently serves as the Chairperson for the statewide TaskForce on the Alaska School Counseling Program Guide.

Gloria Morgan is Supervisor for Professional Developmentfor the Mentor Program in the Missouri State Department ofEducation in Jefferson City.

Marion F. Star. is Assistant Director of Special Needs andGuidance Services in the Missouri Department of Elemen-tary and Secondary Education in Jefferson City.

12 xi

Chapter 1

A Model ComprehensiveGuidance Program

Norman C. Gysbers

The Comprehensive Guidance Program Model hadits genesis in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Thelack of an appropriate organizational structure forguidance in America's public schools was finallybeing addressed in 1972 when the University ofMissouriColumbia conducted a nati ,,:al con-ference on guidance and developed a manual to beused by the states as they developed their ownguides. This manual was published in early 1974and preoided the first description of an organiza-tional structure for the Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Model.

Introduction

During the late 1950s, the 1960s, and the early 1970s, thecounselor-clinical-services approach to guidance dominatedprofessional theory, training, and practice. In schools, thosewho adopted this approach emphasized the counselor andcounseling. Administratively, guidance was part of pupilpersonnel serv',.:es. The focus was on a position (counselor)and a process (counseling); not on the program (guidance).

Guidance in the schools didn't begin that way, however.It began as vocational guidance with an emphasis on occu-pational selection and placement. But, early in the 1920s, a

Guidance in theschools...beganas vocationalguidance with anenr.lhasis onoccupationalselection andplacement

13 1

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Beginning in the160s, but

paeicularly in the1970s, the conceptof guidance fordevelopmentemerged.

Comprehensiveguidanceprograms arebecoming themajor way oforganizing andmanagingguidance in theschools.

more clinically oriented approach, which stressed coun-seling, began to emerge. While concern for occupationalselection and placement was present, a greater concern wasexpressed for personal adjustment. Thus the era of guidancefor adjustment had begun.

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the beginnings ofthe services approach to organizing guidance in the schoolsappeared. Counseling continued to be featured as the,!ii iinant process; only now it was one of a number ofservices. By this time, too, the traditional way of describingguidance as a service with three aspectsvocational,educational, and personal-social was well established.Vocational guidance, instead of being all guidance, hadbecome only one part of guidance. Finally, in the 1950s andearly 1960s, guidance became part of pupil personnelservices, with an emphasis on the counselor and counseling.

Beginning in the 1960s, but particularly in the 1970s,the concept of guidance for development emerged. Duringthis period the call came to reorient guidance from what hadbecome an ancillary, crisis-oriented set of services to acomprehensive, developmental program. The call forreorientation came from diverse sources, including arenewed interest in vocational-career guidance (and itstheoretical base, career development); a renewed interest indeve:opmental guidance; concern about the efficacy of theprevailing approach to guidance in the schools; and concernabout accountability and evaluation.

The work of putting comprehensive guidance programsinto place in the schools continued in the 1980s. Increas-ingly sophisticated, theoretical models began to be trans-lated into practical, workable models to be implemented inthe schools. As the 1990s begin, comprehensive guidanceprograms are beginning to encompass the 1960's counselor-clinical-services model. Comprehensive guidance programsare becoming the major way of organizing and managingguidance in the schools.

This chapter begins with a brief review of traditionalorganizational patterns for guidance and the impact thatthese patterns have had. Next, the development of aComprehensive Guidance Program Model that had itsgenesis in the late 1960s and early 1970s is presented. Thedetails of the Model follow: The content of the Model is

14

A Model Comprehensive Guidance Program

described followed by a presentation of the structure of theprogram, the processes used, and the time allocationsneeded to carry out the program. Finally, there is discussionof the program resources required for the Model if theModel is to function effectively.

Traditional Organizational Patterns

By the 1960s the evolution of guidance in the schools hadreached a peak. The National Defense Education Act of1958 (Public Law 85-864) caused the number of secondarycounselors in schools to increase substantially. Later, due toan expansion of the guidance provisions of the Act,elementary guidance was supported and as a result, thenumber of elementary counselors in the schools alsoincreased rapidly.

These counselors put their expertise to work in schoolswhere three traditional organizational patterns for guidancewere prevalent: (1) the services model, (2) the processmodel, or (3) the duties model. In many schools, combi-nations of these three approaches were used.

The Services Model

The services model had its origins in the 1920s and consistsof organizing the activities of counselors around six majorservices: (11 orientation, (2) assessment, (3) information, (4)counseling, (5) placement and (6) follow-up. While theactivities that are usually listed under each of these sixservices are important and useful, it is a limited model forthree reasons. First, it is primarily oriented to secondaryschools. Second, it does not lend itself easily to theidentification of student outcomes. And third, it does notspecify how the time of counselors should be allocated.

The Process Model

The process model also had its origins in the 1920s. Untilthe 1960s this model emphasized the clinical andtherapetic aspects of counseling, particularly the processesthat school counselors use: counseling, consulting, and

J5

3

The servicesmodel...consistsof organizing theactivities ofcounselorsaround six majorservices:(1) orientation,(2) assessment,(3) information,(4) counseling,(5) placement onfl(6) follow-up.

4 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROCRAMS THAT WORK

Thus, over theyears, guidance inthe schoolsbecame positionoriented ratherthan programfocused

...guidance wasan undefinedprogram....itbecame known asthe "add onprofession."

coordinating. This model is appealing be..ause it is equallyapplicable to elementary and secondary counselors. How-ever, the Process Model has some of the same limitations asthe Services Model: It does not lend itself easily to theidentification of student outcomes and it does not specifyallocations of counselor time.

The Duties Model

Often, instead of describing some organizational patternsuch as the Services Model or the Process Model, counselorduties are simply listed (the duties model). Sometimes theselists contain as many as 20-30 duties and the last duty listedis often "and perform other duties as assigned from time-to-time." While equally applicable to elementary andsecondary counselors, student outcomes are difficult toidentify and counselor time is almost impossible to allocateeffectively.

r mition Oriented Rather Than Program Focused

One result of these traditional organizational patterns hasbeen to emphasize the position of the counselor, not theprogram of guidance. Thus, over the years, guidance in theschools became position oriented rather than programfocused. As this occurred, guidance also became anancillary-supportive service in the eyes of many people.This pattern placed counselors mainly in a remedial-reactiverole; a role that is not seen as mainstream in education bymost people. What is worse, this pattern reinforced thepractice of counselors doing many administrative-clericalduties because these duties could be defended as being "ofservice 0 somebody."

Because of this lack of appropriate organization aswell as a lack of a program focus, guidance was anundefined program. As a result, it became knov, n as the"add on profession." Because of the absence of any clearstructue to guidance programs it was easy to givecounselors new duties. Counselors had free time andflexible schedules. And, since time was not a consideration,why worry about removing current duties when new oneswere added?

16


The Origin of a Program Model

In October of 1969 the University of Missouri-Columbiaconducted a national conference on career guidance,counseling and placement that led to regional conferencesheld across the country dining the spring of 1970. Then in1971, the University of Missouri-Columbia was awarded aU.S. Office of Education grant to assist each state, theDistrict of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in developing modelsor guides for implementing career guidance, counseling andplacement programs in local schools. Project staff inMissouri conducted a national conference in January of1972 and developed a manual (Gysbers & Moore, 1974) tobe used by the states ac they developed their own guides.The lack of an appropriate organizational structure forguidance in schools was finally being addressed.

The manual that was published in February of 1974provided the first description of an organizational structurefor the Comprehensive Guidance Program Model that wasto be refined in later work (Gysbers, 1978; Gysbers &Moore, 1981; Gysbers & Hargens, 1984; Gysbers &Henderson, 1988). The original organizational structure fora Comprehensive Guidance Program Model, was comprisedof three interrelated categories: curriculum-based functions,individual facilitation functions, and on-call functions. Thecurriculum based category brought together thoseguidance activities which took place primarily in the contextof regularly scheduled courses of study in an educationalsetting. These activities were a part of regular schoolsubjects or were organized around special topics in the formof units, mini-courses or modules. They were based on needstatements and goals and objectives necessary for thegrowth and development of all students. Typical topicsfocused on self-understanding, interpersonal relationships,decision-making, value clarification, and the education,work, and leisure worlds. School counselors were involveddirectly with students through class instruction, groupprocesses or individual discussion. In other instances, theguidance staff worked directly and cooperatively withteachers providing resources and consultation.

Individual facilitation functions included thosesystematic activities of the comprehensive guidance

17

The lack of anappropriateorganizationalstructure forguidance inschools wasfinally beingaddressed

5

6 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Personalizedcontact andinvolvement werestressed instead ofsuperficial contactwith each studentonce a year to fillout a schedule.

By 1978 the focuswas on a totalcomprehensive,developmentalguidanceprogram.

program designed to assist students in monitoring andunderstanding their growth and development in regard totheir own personal goals, values, abilities, aptitudes andinterests. School counselors and teachers served in thecapacity of "advisors," "learner managers" or "developmentspecialists." Personalized contact and involvement werestressed instead of superficial contact with each studentonce a year to fill out a schedule. The functions in thiscategory provided for the accountability needed in aneducational setting to ensure that students' uniquenessremained intact and that educational resources were used tofacilitate their life career development.

On-call functions focused on direct, immediateresponses to students' needs such as information seeking,crisis counseling and teacher/parent/specialist consultation.In addition, on-call functions were supportive of thecurriculum-based and individual facilitation functions.Adjunct guidance staff (peers, paraprofessionals and volun-teers/support staff) aided school counselors and teachers incarrying out on-call functions. Peers were involved intutorial programs, orientation activities, ombudsman centersand (with special training) cross-age counseling andleadership in informal dialogue centers. Paraprofessionalsand volunteers provided meaningful services in placementand follow-up activities, community liaison, careerinformation centers and club leadership activities.

The 1974 version of the Model also used time distribu-tion wheels to show the projected division of counselors'time to carry out a developmental guidance program. Inaddition, a chart was provided to show how counselors'time could be distributed across a typical school week usingthe three categories as organizers. In this arrangement,consultation as a process was added to the Model.

Gysbers (1978) described additional refinements thathad been made to the Model since 1974. By 1978 the focuswas on a total comprehensive, developmental guidanceprogram. It now included the following elements: Defini-tion, Rationale, Assumptions, Content Model, and ProcessModel. The Content Model described the knowledge andskills students would acquire with the help of the guidanceprogram. The Process Model grouped the guidanceactivities and processes used in the program into four

18


interrelated categories: curriculum-based processes,individual-development processes, on-call responsive pro-cesses, and systems-support processes.

It is interesting to note the changes and additions interminology from the 1974 description of the program. Theconcepts of definition, rationale, and assumptions had beenadded by 1978. The Model itself was now grouped into twoparts. The first part focused on the content to be learnedwhile the second part organized the guidance activities andprocesses needed in a program into four categories. Thecategory of individual facilitation was changed to individualdevelopment, the word responsive was added to on-call, anda new categorysystems supportwas added.

Also in 1978, Gysbers described seven steps required to"remodel a guidance program while living in it" and to plan,implement, and evaluate a comprehensive guidanceprogram. These steps follow:

1. Decide you want to change2. Form work groups3. Assess current programs4. Select program model5. Compare current program with program model6. Establish transition time table7. Evaluate

Between 1978 and 1%1 further refinements were madeon the Model. These refinements appeared in ImprovingGuidance Programs by Gysbers and Moore (1981). By nowthe basic structure of the Model was established. The terms"structural components" and "program components" werenow used to describe the basic framework for the compre-hensive guidance program. The terms "content model" and"process model" had been dropped. Also, the steps forremodeling a guidance program, first delineated in 1978,were described in much more detail. These seven stepsformed the basis for the organization of the chapters inImproving Guidance Programs.

Between 1981 and 1988 the Model was being used bystate and local school districts with increasing frequency.During these years two school districts in particular becameinvolved: St. Joseph, Missouri School District andNorthside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas.

0

7

...in 1978,Gysbers describedseven stepsrequired to"remodel aguidance programwhile living in it."

Between 1981 and1988 the Modelwas being used bystate and localschool districtswith increasingfrequency.


As the 1980sprogressed anumber of statesand a number ofadditional schooldistricts across thecountry began toadapt the Modelto fit their needs.

1.(fe careerdevelopment isdefined as self-development overa person's lifespan through theintegration of theroles, settings,and events in aperson's ljfe.

Hargens and Gysbers (1984), writing in the SchoolCounselor, presented a case study of how the Model wasimplemented in the St. Joseph School District. The work inthe Northside Independent School District became the basisfor much of the most recent description of the Model(Gysbers & Henderson, 1988). As the 1980s progressed anumber of states and a number of additional school districtsacross the country began to adapt the Model to fit theirneeds.

In 1988, Gysbers and Henderson's book Developingand Managing Your School Guidance Program, waspublished by the American Association for Counseling andDevelopment (AACD). Using the framework of the Modelpresented in 1981, Gysbers and Henderson expanded andextended the Model substantially. Building upon theexperiences of a number of local school districts and statesand with a particular emphasis on the experiences of theNorthside Independent School District, the planning, design,implementation, and evaluation phases of the Model wereelaborated upcn in much more detail. Sample forms, pro-cedures, and methods, particularly those from Northside,were used extensively to illustrate the Model and its imple-mentation.

A Description of the Program Model

Program Foundation

The perspective of human growth and development thatserves as the foundation for the Model and as a basis foridentifying the guidance knowledge, skills, and attitudes(competencies) that students need is called life careerdevelopment. Life career development is defined as self-development over a person's life span through the integra-tion of the roles, settings, and events in a person's life. Theword life in the definition indicates that the focus of thisconception of human growth and development is on the totalpersonthe human career. The word career identifies andrelates the many and often varied roles that individualsassume (student, worker, consumer, citizen, parent); thesettings in which individuals find themselves (home, school,community); and the events that occur over their lifetimes

2 0.


(entry job, marriage, divorce, retirement). The word devel-opment is used to indicate that individuals are always in theprocess of becoming. When used in sequence, the words lifecareer development bring these separate meanings together,but at the same time a greater meaning evolves. Life careerdevelopment describes total individuals: unique individuals,with their own life styles (Gysbers & Moore, 1974, 1975,1981).

The meaning of the word career in the phrase life careerdevelopment differs substantially from the usual definitionof the term. Career focuses on all aspects of life as inter-related parts of the whole person. The term career, whenviewed from this broad perspective, is not a synonym foroccupation. People have careers; the work world, themarketplace has occupations. Unfortunately, too manypeople use the word career when they should use the wordoccupation. All people have careers, their lives are theircareers. Finally, the words life career development do notdelineate and describe only one part of human growth anddevelopment. Although it is useful to focus at times ondifferent developmental areas (e.g., physical, emotional, andintellectual), it is also necessary to integrate these areas.Life career development is an organizing and integratingconcept for understanding and facilitating human growthand development.

Wolfe and Kolb (1980) summed up the life view ofcareer development

Career development involves one's whole life, notjust occupation. As such, it concerns the wholeperson, needs and wants, capacities and potentials,excitements and anxieties, insights and blind spots,warts and all. More than that, it concerns him/her inthe ever-changing contexts of his/her life. Theenvironmental pressures and constraints, the bondsthat tie him/her to significant others, responsibilitiesto children and aging parents, the total structure ofone's circumstances are also factors that must beunderstood and reckoned with, in these terms, careerdevelopment and personal development converge.Self and circumstancesevolving, changing,unfolding in mutual interactionconstitute the focusand the drama of career development. (pp. 1-2)

I)4.t ...i.

Career focuses onall aspects of ljfeas interrelatedparts of the wholeperson.

People havecareers; the workworld, themarketplace hasoccupations.

9


Program ContentLife Career DevelopmentDomains

Three domains of human growth and development areemphasized in life career development Self-knowledge andInterpersonal Skills; Life Roles, Settings and Events; andLife Career Planning (Gysbers & Moore, 1974; 1981).Student compete-icies are generated from these domains toprovide the program content for the Model.

Self-knowledge and Interpersonal Skills. In the Self-knowledge and Interpersonal Skills domain the focus is onhelping students understand themselves and others. Themain concepts of this domain involve students' awarenessand acceptance of themselves, their awareness and accep-tance of others, and their development of interpersonalskills. Within this domain, students begin to develop anawareness of their personal characteristics: interests, aspira-tions, and abilities. Students learn techniques for set:-appraisal and the analysis of their personal characteristics interms of a real-ideal self-continuum. They begin to formu-late plans for self-improvement in such areas as physical

Individuals and mental health. Individuals become knowledgeable aboutbecome knowl- the interactive relationship of self and environment in such aedgeable about way that they develop personal standards and a sense ofthe interactive purpose in life. Students learn how to create and maintainrelationship of relationships and develop skills that allow for beneficialself and environ- interaction within those relationships. They can use self-ment in such a knowledge in life career planning. They have positiveway that they interpersonal relations and are self-directed in that theydevelop personal accept responsibility for their own behavior.standards and a Life Roles, Settings and Events. The emphasis in thissense of purpose domain is on the interrelatedness of various life rolts (suchin life. as learner, citizen, consumer), settings (such as home,

school, work, and community), and events (such as jobentry, marriage, retirement) in which students participateovel 'le life span. Emphasis is given to the knowledge andunderstanJing of the sociological, psychological, andeconomic dimensions and structure of their world. Asstudents explore the different aspects of their roles, theylearn how stereotypes affect their own and others' lives. Theimplication of futuristic concerns is examined and related totheir lives. Students learn of the potential impact of changein modern society and of the necessity of being able to

1 2i.


project themselves into the future. In this way they begin topredict the future, foresee alternatives they may choose, andplan to meet the requirements of life career alternatives theymay choose. As a result of learning about the multipledimensions of their world, students understand the recipro-cal influences of life roles, settings, and events and canconsider various life-style patterns.

Life Career Planning. The Life Career Planningdomain is designed to help students understand thatdecision-making and planning are important tasks in everyday life and to recognize the need for life career planning.Students learn of the many occupations and industries in thework world and of their grouping according to occupationalrequirements and characteristics as well as personal skills,interests, values and aspirations. Emphasis is placed onstudents' learning of various rights and responsibilitiesassociated with their involvement in a life career.

The central focus of this domain is on the mastery ofdecision-making skills as a part of life career planning.Students develop skills in this area by identifying theelements of the decision-making process. They developskills in gathering information from relevant sources, bothexternal and internal, and learn to use the collected infor-mation in making informed and reasoned decisions. A majoraspect of this process involves the appraisal of personalvalues as they may relate to prospective plans and decisions.Students engage in planning activities and begin tounderstand that they can influence their future by applyingsuch skill. They begin to accept responsibility for makingtheir own choices, for managing their own resources, andfor directing the future course of their own lives.

Program Structure, Processes & Time

The Model Program (see Figure 1) contains seven com-ponents organized around two major categories: StructuralComponents and Program Components (Gysbers & Moore,1981; Gysbers & Henderson, 1988).

The three structural components identify broad areas ofcompetencies students will possess as a result of theprogram and where the program fits in relation to other

11

The LLfe CareerPlanning domainis designed to helpstudentsunderstand thatdecision-makingand planning areimportant tasks ineveryday l(fe andto recognize theneed for lifecareer planning.


IProgramContent

Figure 1

Elements of a ModelGuidance Program

Program Means

ProgramStructure, Processes & Time

I

ProgramResources

Lite Career DevelopmentDomains

ResourcesStructural Components

1

Program Componentsand Sample Processes

Sell Knowledge 8 Definition & Stridence Curnculurn HumanInterpersonal Skills Philosophy Structured Groups Counselors

Classroom Presentations TeachersLife Roles, Settings 8 Elation& AdministratorsEvents Individual Planning Parents

Assumptions Advisement StudentsLife Career Planning Assessment Community

Placement 8 Follow-up PersonnelBusiness 8

Responsive Services LaborIndividual Counseling PersonnelSmall Group CounselingConsultation FinancialReferral Budget

MaterialsSystem Support Equipment

Management FacilitiesConsultationCommunity Outreach BakalPublic Relations Policies

Rules

Time

Percent

ES M/JH HS

Guidance Curriculum 35-45Individual Planning 5-10Responsive Services 30-40System Suppon 10-15

25-35 15-2515.25 25-3530-40 25.3510-15 15-20


educational programs (definition), offer reasons why theprogram is important and needed (rationale), and providethe premises upon which the program rests (assumptions).The four program components delineate the major activi-ties, and the roles and responsibilities of personnel involvedin the guidance program. These include the guidance curri-culum, individual planning, responsive services, and systemsupport.

Structural Components

Definition. The program definition includes the missionstatement of the guidance program and its centrality withinthe school district's total education program. It delineatesthe competencies individuals will possess as a result of theirinvolvement in the program, summarizes the componentsand identifies the program's clients.

Rationale. The rationale discusses the importance ofguidance as an equal partner in the educational system andprovides reasons why individuals in our society need toacquire the competencies that will accrue to them as a resultof their involvement in a comprehensive guidance program.Included are conclusions drawn from student and com-munity needs assessments and clarifications of goals for thelocal educational system.

Assumptions. Assumptions are the principles that shapeand guide the program. They include statements regardingthe essence of the contribution that school counselors andguidance programs make to students' development, thepremises that undergird the comprehensiveness and thebalanced nature of the program, and the relationshipbetween the guidance program and the other educationalprograms. A reminder is included as well that planning,designing, implementing, and evaluating must continueeven long after the program is put in place.

Program Components and Processes

An examination of the needs of students, the variety ofguidance methods, techniques, and resources available, andthe increased expectations of policy-makers, funders, andconsumers indicates that a new structure for guidance

25

13

The programdefinitionincludes themission statementof the guidanceprogram and itscentrality withinthe schooldistrict's totaleducationprogram.

14 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANM PROGRAMS THAT WORK

The traditional sixservices...ofguidance, thoughperhaps oncesufficient, are nolonger adequateways to organizeguidanceprograms intoday's schools.

Should schoolcounselors beavailable andresponsive to thespecial and/orunexpected needsof students, staff,parents, and thecommunity?

programs in the schools is needed. The traditional sixservices (orientation, information, assessment, counseling,placement, and follow-up) and three aspects (educational,personal-social, and vocational) of guidance, thoughperhaps once sufficient, are no longer adequate ways toorganize guidance programs in today's schools.

When described as "services," guidance is often cast asancillary and is seen as only supportive to instruction ratherthan equal and complementary. The "three aspects" view ofguidance frequently has resulted in fragmented and event-oriented activities and, in some instances, the developmentof separate kinds of programs and counselors. For example,educational guidance is stressed by academic-collegepersonnel; personal-social guidance becomes the territory ofmental health workers; and vocational guidance is the focusof vocational education and labor economists.

If the proposition that these traditional structures are nolonger adequate is accepted, then the question becomes:What type of new structure is needed? One way to answerthis question is to ask what one should expect of a compre-hensive guidance program.

Are all individuals in need of specific knowledge,skills, and attitudes that are the instructional pro-vince of guidance programs?Is it an inherent right of all students to be assigned toa counselor in the school system who is sensitive totheir unique life career development needs, includingtheir need for placement and follow-through?Should school counselors be available and respon-sive to the special and/or unexpected needs ofstudents, staff, parents, and the community?Does the school program and staff require supportthat can best be supplied by school counselors?

An affirmative answer to these four questions implies astructure that is different from the traditional services/aspects model. In addition, a review of the variety ofguidance methods, techniques, and resources availabletoday and an understanding of expectations of policymakers and consumers of guidance also suggest the need fora model different from the traditional services or aspectsmodel. The structure suggested by an affirmative answer to

'6


the four questions, and by a review of the literature as well,is a program model of guidance techniques, methods, andresources containing four interactive components: guidancecurriculum, individual planning, responsive services, andsystem support (Gysbers & Moore, 1981; Gysbers &Henderson, 1988).

The curriculum component was chosen because acurriculum provides a vehicle to impart guidance content toall students in a systematic way. Individual planning wasincluded as a part of the Model because of the increasingneed for all students to periodically and systematically plan,monitor, and manage their growth and development and toconsider and take action on their next steps personally,educationally, and occupationally. The responsive servicescomponent was included because of the need of comprehen-sive guidance programs to respond to the direct, immediateconcerns of students whether these concerns involve CriSL,counseling, referral, or consultation with parents, teachers,or other specialists. Finally, the system support componentwas included because if the other guidance processes are tobe effective, a variety of support activities such as staffdevelopment, research, and curriculum development arerequired. Also, system support encompasses the need for theguidance program to provide appropriate support to otherprograms in a school.

These components, then, serve as organizers for themany guidance methods, techniques, and resources requiredin a comprehensive guidance program. In addition, they alsocan serve as a check on the comprehensiveness of theprogram. A program is not comprehensive unless each of itscomponents includes activities.

Guidance Curriculum. This Model of guidance isbased on the assumption that guidance programs includecontent that all students can learn in a systematic, sequentialway. In order for this to happen, counselors must beinvolved in teaching a guidance curriculum, This is not anew idea; the notion of a guidan^e curriculum has deep,historical roots. What is new, however, is the array ofguidance and counseling techniques, methods, and resourcescurrently available that work best as a part of a curriculum.Also new is the concept that a comprehensive guidanceprogram has an organized and sequer tial curriculum. The

xri

15

...counselorsmust be involvedin teaching aguidancecurriculum. Thisis not a new idea;the notion of aguidancecurriculum hasdeep, historicalroots.


Althoughcounselors'responsibilitiesincludeorganizing andimplementing theguidancecurriculum, thecooperation andsupport of theentire faculty arenecessary for itssuccessfulimplementation.

guidance curriculum typically ,onsists of student com-petencies (organized by domains) and structured activitiespresented systematically through such strategies as:

Classroom Activities. Counselors teach, team teach, orsupport the teaching of guidance curriculum learningactivities or units in classrooms. Teachers also may teachsuch units. The guidance curriculum is not limited to being apart of only one or two subjects, but should ude as manysubjects as possible in the total school curriculum. Theseactivities may be conducted in the classroom, guidancecenter, or other school facilities.

Group Activities. Counselors organize an" conduct largegroup sessions such as career days and educational/college/vocational days. Other members of the guidanceteam, including teachers and administrators, also may beinvolved in organizing and conducting such sessions.

Although counselors' responsibilities include organizingand implementing the guidance curriculum, the cooperationand support of the entire faculty are necessary for itssuccessful implementation.

Individual Planning. Concern for student developmentin a complex society has been a cornerstone of the guidancemovement since the days of Frank Parsons. In recent yearsthe concern for student development has intensified associety has become even more complex. This concern ismanifested in many ways, but perhaps is expressed mostsuccinctly in a frequently stated guidance goal: Helpingstudents become the person they are capable of becoming.

To accomplish the purposes of this component of theModel, activities and procedures are necessary to assiststudents in understandinc' and periodically monitoring theirgrowth and development. Students must come to terms withtheir goals, values, abilities, aptitudes, and interests (compe-tencies) so they can continue to progress educationally andoccupationally. Counselors and others with guidanceresponsibilities must be person-development-and-placementspecialists.

Individual planning consists of activities that helpstudents to plan, monitor, and manage their own learningand their personal and career development. The focus is onassisting students to develop, analyze, and evaluate theireducational, occupational, and personal goals and plans.

28


Individual planning is implemented through suchstrategies as:

Individual Appraisal. Counselors assist students toassess and interpret their abilities, interests, skills, andachievement. The use of test information and other dataabout students is an important part of helping them developimmediate and long-range goals and plans.

Individual Advisement. Counselors assist students to useself-appraisal information along with personal-social,educational, career, and labor market information to helpthem plan for and realize their personal, educational, andoccupational goals.

Placement. Counselors and other education personnelassist students to make the transition from school to work orto additional education and training.

Responsive Services. Problems relating to academiclearning, personal identity issues, drugs, and peer and familyrelationships are increasingly a part of the educationalscene. Crisis counseling, diagnostic and remediationactivities, and consultation and referral must continue to beincluded as an ongoing part of a comprehensive guidanceprogram. In addition, a continuing need exists for theguidance program to respond to the immediate information-seeking needs of students, parents, and teachers. Theresponsive services component organizes guidance tech-niques and methods to respond to these concerns and needsas they occur; it is supportive of the guidance curriculumand individual planring components as well.

Responsive services consist of activities to meet theimmediate needs and concerns of students, teachers andparents whether these needs or concerns require counseling,consultation, referral, or information. Although counselorshave special training and possess skills to respond toimmediate needs and conce'-s, the cooperation and supportof the entire faculty are necessary for this component'ssuccessful implementation. Responsive services areimplemented through such strategies as:

Consultation. Counselors consult with parents, teachers,other educators, and community agencies regarding strate-gies to help students deal with and resolve personalconcerns.

Personal Counseling. Counseling is provided on a smallgroup and individual basis for students who have problems

17

Problems relatingto academiclearning, personalidentity issues,drugs, and peerand familyrelationships areincreasingly apart of theeducational scene.


Counselors useother professionalresources of theschool andcommunity torefer studentswhen appropriate.

The adminis-tration andmanagement of acomprehensiveguidance programrequire anongoing supportsystem.

or difficulties dealing wito relationships, personal concerns,or normal developmental tasks. The focus is on assistingstudents to identify problems and causes, alternatives,possible consequences, and to take action when appropriate.

Crisis Counseling. Counseling and support are providedto students or their families facing emergency situations.Such counseling is normally short-term and temporary infigure. When necessary, appropriate referral sources shouldbe used.

Referral. Counselors use other professional resources ofthe school and community to refer students v.iien appro-priate. These referral sources may include:

mental health agenciesemployment and training programsvocational rehabilitationjuvenile servicessocial servicesspecial school programs (special or compensatoryeducation)

The responsive services component also provides forsmall group counseling. Small groups of students withsimilar concerns can be helped by intensive small groupcounseling. All students may not need such assistance, but itis available in a comprehensive program.

Adjunct guidance staffpeers, paraprofessionals,volunteerscan aid counselors in carrying out theirresponsive activities. Peers can be involved in tutorialprograms, orientation activities, ombudsman functions,and--with special trainingcross-age counseling andleadership in informal dialog. Paraprofessionals andvolunteers can provide assistance in such areas as place-ment, follow-up, and community-school-home liaisonactivities.

System Support. The administration and managementof a comprehensive guidance program require an ongoingsupport system. That is why system support is a majorprogram component. Unfortunately, it is often overlooked oronly minimally appreciated. And yet, the system supportcomponent is as important as the other three components.Without continuing support, the other three components ofthe guidance program will be ineffective.

30


Activities included in this program category are by defi-nition those that support and enhance activities in the otherthree program components. That is not to say that theseactivities do not stand alone. They can and often do. But forthe most part, they undergird activities in the other threecomponents. The system support component consists ofmanagement activities that establish, maintain, and enhancethe total guidance program. This component is implementedand carried out through such activities as:

Research and Development. Guidance program evalua-tion, follow-up studies, and the continued development andupdating of guidance learning activities are some examplesof the research and development work of counselors.

Staff/Community Public Relations. The orientation ofstaff and the community to the comprehensive guidanceprogram through the use of newsletters, local media, andschool and community presentations.

Professional Development. Counselors must regularlyupdate their professional knowledge and skills. This mayinclude participation in school-in-service training, attend-ance at professional meetings, completion of postgraduatecoursework, and contributions to the professional literature.

Committee/Advisory Boards. Serving on departmentalcurriculum committees and community committees oradvisory boards is an example of activities in this area.

Community Outreach. Included in this area are activitiesdesigned to help counselors become knowledgeable aboutcommunity resources, employment opportunities, and thelocal labor market. This may involve counselors visitinglocal businesses and industries and social services agencies.

Program Management and Operations. This areaincludes the planning and management tasks needed tosupport the activities of a comprehensive guidance program.It also includes responsibilities that members of the schoolstaff may need to fulfill.

Also included in the system support component areactivities that support programs other than guidance. Theseactivities could include counselors being involved in theschool testing program (helping interpret test results for useby teachers, parents, and administrators), serving on depart-mental curriculum committees (helping interpret studentneeds data for curriculum revision), and working with

31

19

Counselors mustregularly updatetheir professionalknowledge andskills.


the guidanceprogram is wellnm...it willprovidesubstantialsupport for otherprograms andpersonnel in theschool and thecommunity.

The assumption isthat professionalcounselors shouldspend 100 percentof their time ontask,implementing theguidanceprogram.

school administrators (helping interpret student needs andbehaviors). Care must be taken, however, to watch the timegiven to these duties because the prime focus for counselorsis on carrying out the first three components of the compre-hensive guidance program. It is important to realize that ifthe guidance program is well run, focusing heavily on thefirst three components, it will provide substantial support forother programs and personnel in the school and the com-munity.

Program Time

Counselors' professional time is a critical element in theModel. How should professional certified counselors spendtheir time? How should this time be spread across the totalprogram?

In this Model, the four program components provide thestructure for making judgments about appropriate alloca-tions of counselors' time. One criterion to be used in makingsuch judgments is the concept of program balance. Theassumption is that some counselor time should be spreadacross all program components, but particularly the firstthree. Another criterion is that different grade levels requiredifferent allocations of counselor time across the programcomponents. For example, at the elementary level morecounselor time may be spent working in the curriculum withless time spent in individual planning. In the high school,those time allocations probably would be reversed.

How personnel in a school district or school buildingallocate their time depends on the needs of their studentsand their community. Also, once chosen, the time alloca-tions are not fixed forever. The purpose for making them isto provide direction to the program, to the administrationand to the counselors involved.

Since the Model is a"100 percent program," 100 percentof counselors' time must be spread across the four programcomponents. Time allocations can be changed based onnewly arising needs, but nothing new can be added unlesssomething is removed. The assumption is that professionalcounselors should spend 100 percent of their time on task,implementing the guidance program.

What are some suggested percentages? As an example,the State of Missouri (Starr & Gysbers, 1988) has adopted

32


suggested percentages of counselor time to be spent on eachprogram component. These suggested percentages of timewere recommended by Missouri counselors and adminis-trators who had participated in the field testing of theMissouri Comprehensive Guidance Program Model:

Percent

ES M/JH HS

Guidance Curriculum 35-45 25-35 15-25

Individual Planning 05-10 15-25 25-35

Responsive SPrvices 30-40 30-40 25-35

System Support 10-15 10-15 15-20

Program Resources

Human resources counselors, teachers, administrators,parents, students, community members, and business andlabor personnel all have roles to play in the guidanceprogram. While counselors are the main providers ofguidance and counseling services and are the coordinatorsof the program, the involvement, cooperation, and supportof teachers and administrators is necessary for the programto be successful. The involvement, cooperation, and supportof parents, community members, and business and laborpersonnel also is critical. A School-Community AdvisoryCommittee is recommended to bring together the talent andenergy of school and community personnel.

The School-Community Advisory Committee acts as aliaison between the school and community and providesrecommendations concerning the needs of students and thecommunity. A primary duty of this committee is to advisethose involved in the guidance program. The committee isnot a policy or decision-making body; rather it is a source ofadvice, counsel, and support and is a communication linkbetween those involved in the guidance program and theschool and community. The committee is a permanent partof the guidance program. A community person should bethe chairperson.

The use and involvement of an advisory committee. willvary according to the program and the community. It isimportant, however, that membership be more than in name

21

A Schos'l-CommunityAdvisoryCommittee isrecommended tobring together thetalent and energyof school andcommunitypersonnel.


The financialresources of acomprehensiveguidance programare crucial to itssuccess...

One way to makeguidance facilitiesmore usable andaccessible is toreorganizetraditional spaceinto a guidancecenter.

only. Members will be particularly helpful in developingand implementing the public relations plan for thecommunity.

Financial Resources

The financial resources of a comprehensive guidanceprogram are crucial to its success. Examples of financialresources described in the Program Model include budget,materials, equipme, t and facilities. The Model highlightsthe need for these resources through its focus on the physi-cal space and equipment required for a comprehensiveprogram. To make the guidance curriculum, individualplanning, responsive services, and system support compo-nents function effectively, a new way to organize guidanceprogram facilities is required.

Traditionally, guidance facilities have consisted of anoffice or suite of offices designed primarily to provide one-to-one counseling assistance. Such an arrangement hasfrequently included a reception or waiting area that serves asa browsing room where students have access to displays orfiles of educational and occupational information. Also, thisspace has typically been placed in the administrative wingof the school so that the counseling staff can be near therecords and the administration.

The need for individual offices is obvious because of thecontinuing need to carry on individual counseling sessions.A need also exists, however, to open up guidance facilitiesand make them more accessible to all students, teachers,parents, and community members. One way to make guid-ance facilities more usable and accessible is to reorganizetraditional space into a guidance center.

A guidance center brings together available guidanceinformation and resources and makes them easily accessibleto students. The center is used for such activities as groupsessions, self-exploration, and personalized research andplanning. At the high school level, students receiveassistance in areas such as occupational planning, job entryand placement, financial aid information and postsecondaryeducational opportunities. At the elementary school level,students and their parents receive information about theschool, the community, and parenting skills; they also read

34


books about personal growth and development. An area forplay therapy can be provided in the guidance center.

Although the center is available for use to school staffand community members, it is student-centered, and manyof the center activities are student-planned as well asstudent-directed. At the same time, the center is a valuableresource for teachers in their program planning and imple-mentation. Employers, too, will find the center useful whenseeking part-time or full-time workers. Clearly, the impactof the center on school and community can be substantial.

If community members and parents are involved in theplanning and implementation of the center and its activities,their interest could provide an impetus for the involvementof other community members. When parents and com-munity members become involved in programs housed inthe center, they gain firsthand experience with the guidanceprogram. Through these experiences, new support for theprogram may develop.

The guidance center is furnished as comfortably aspossible for all users. Provision is made for group as well asindividual activities. Coordinating the operation of theguidance center is the responsibility of the guidance staff,but all school staff can be involved. It is recommended thatat least one paraprofessional be a part of the staff to ensurethat clerical tasks are carried out in a consistent and ongoingmanner.

Political Resources Education is not simply influencedby politics, it is politics. The mobilization of politicalresources is key to a successful guidance program. Fullendorsements of the guidance program by the local board ofeducation as a "program of studies" is one example ofmobilizing political resources. Another example is clear andconcise school district policy statements highlighting theintegral and central nature of the school's comprehensiveguidance program to other programs in the school district.

Putting It All Together

What does the Program Model look like when all of theModel's elements are brought together? Figure 1 (seepage 12) presents the Model on one page so that the threeprogram elements can be seen in relationship to each other.

r) ,._....OP 0

23

...the center is avaluable resource

for teachers intheir programplanning andimplementation.

Full endorse-ments of theguidance programby the local boardof education as a"program ofstudies" is oneexample ofmobilizingpoliticalresources.


The ProgramModel...de-emphasizesadministrativeand clerical tasks,one-to-onecounseling only,and limitedaccountability. Itis proactive ratherthan reactive.

Notice that the three program elements (programcontent, program structure, processes, and time, and pro-gram resources) represent the "means" of the program.Without these "mums" in place, it is impossible to achievethe full results of the program and to fully evaluate theimpact of the program on students, the school, and thecommunity.

Some Final Thoughts

The Program Model, by definition, leads to guidanceactivities and structured group experiences for all students.It deemphasizes administrative and clerical tasks, one-to-one counseling only, and limited accountability. It isproactive rather than reactive. Counselors are busy andunavaleble for unrelated administrative and clerical dutiesbecauc ' they have a guidance program to implement. Coun-selors are expected to do personal and crisis counseling aswell as provide structured activities for all students.

To fully implement the Program Model it is importantthat the program be:

1. Understood as student development oriented, notschool maintenance/administrative oriented.

2. Operated as a 100 percent program; the fourprogrammatic components constitute the totalprogram, there are no add-ons.

3. Started the first day of school and ended on thelast day of school, not started in the middle ofOctober with an ending time in April so that admin-istrative, non-guidance tasks can be completed.

4. Understood as program focused, not positionfocused.

5. Understood as education based, not agency or clinicbased.

References

Gysbers, N. C. (1978). Remodeling your guidance programwhile living in it. Texas Personnel and GuidanceAssociation Journal, 6, 53-61.

36

A Model Comprehensive Guidance Program 25

Gysbers, N. C., & Henderson, P. (1988). Developing andmanaging your school guidance program. Alexandria,VA: American Association for Counseling andDevelopment.

Gysbers, N. C., & Moore, E. J. (1974). Career guidance,counseling and placement: Elements of an illustrativeprogram guide (A life career development perspective).Columbia, MO: University of Missouri-Columbia.

Gysbers, N. C., & Moore, E. J. (1975). Beyond careerdevelopmentlife career development. Personnel andGuidance Journal, 53, 647-652.

Gysbers, N. C., & Moore, E. J. (: c)81). Improving guidanceprograms. Englewood Cliffs, N.;: Prentice Hall.

Hargens, M., & Gysbers, N. C. (1984). How to remodel aguidance program while living in it: A case study. TheSchool Counselor, 30, 119-125.

Starr, M. F., & Gysbers, N. C. (1988). Missouri comprehen-sive guidance: A model for program development,implementation and evaluation. Jefferson City: MissouriDepartment of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Wolfe, D. M., & Kolb, D. A. (1980). Career development,personal growth, and experimental learning. In J. W.Springer (Ed.), Issues in career and human resourcedevelopment (pp. 1-56). Madison, WI: AmericanSociety for Training and Development.

0 n0 I

Chapter 2

Missouri ComprehensiveGuidanceA Model for Program Development,Implementation and Evaluation

Robert J. LariveeMarion F. Starr

The Missouri Model was developed by the MissouriDepartment of Elementary and SecondaryEducation and field tested in selected schooldistricts during the 1984-85 school year. Theprogram has grown from the original 22 pilotdistricts serving 15,000 students to over 120 schooldistricts serving 174,000 students.

Introduction

Guidanc, as an educational program is a contemporaryconcept for many administrators and school counselors.School counselors and the programs for which they areresponsible have the potential to make a tremendous impacton the lives of thousands of students across our state.

If school counselors are to reach a majority of thestudents in our schools, and if they are going to providemaximum program benefits for them, they must begin toredirect their efforts. They must begin to focus on the imple-mentation of a comprehensive developmental guidanceprogram.

The Missouri Model (Missouri ComprehensiveGuidanceA Model for Program Development, Imple-mentation and Evaluation) provides school districts, and the

:8

School counselorsand the programsfor which they areresponsible havethe potential tomake atremendousimpact on thelives of thousandsof students....

27

28 COMTRINEiNSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

administrators and counselors responsible for guidance, witha vehicle that both makes guidance accountable andprovides those maximum benefits to all students in ourschools. "Excellence in Education" is a major theme withinthe Missouri educational system. Excellence calls for astrong and enduring commitment to our public schoolsystem and the development of a tangible, concise plan tobring about reform if this excellence is to be achieved.Comprehensive guidance programs are vital if excellence ineducation is to be achieved.

Purpose and Rationale

The primary purpose of the Missouri ComprehensiveGuidance Program Model is to help districts develop,implement, and evaluate comprehensive and systematic

41" students are to guidance programs, K-12. If students are to gain maximumgain maximum benefits from guidance programs, then the programs mustbenefits from be sequential and developmental with an identified scopeguidance and sequence of program activities. In addition, the purposeprograms, then of the model is to assure that guidance program efforts reachthe programs all students, that guidance is viewed as a program withmust be specific content rather then an ancillary service, thatsequential and program accountability is achieved, and that certain studentdevelopmental .... competencies are attained as a result of guidance program

efforts. When fully implemented, school counselors will beable to devote 100 percent of their time to the program, thuseliminating many of the nonguidance tasks now carried outby school counselors.

Because of the need to refocos guidance activities anddevelop guidance within a "programmatic framework," aproposed model developed by the Missouri Department ofElementary and Secondary Education was field tested inselected school districts during the 1984-85 school year.Field testing, revision and refinement continue to be anongoing process.

As plans for the model began to unfold, it was decidedthat if the program was to have the needed impact, thenpersonnel from the public schools must play an integral rolein the structuring and writing of the model. Numerousadministrators and counselors have played a key role informulating the process and procedures detailed in the

:4-9

Missouri Comprehensive Guidance 29

comprehensive guidance program plan. The initial focus forimplementation was targeted toward secondary schoolprograms and this remained the focus until the 1987-88school year During the 1987-88 school year, selected sitesparticipated in the development and field testing of themiddle/junior high component of the ComprehensiveGuidance Program Model. The elementary component iscurrently under development and should be available forimplementation in project sites beginning with the 1989-90school year. While it is a state model, local districts have theflexibility to modify it to meet local needs.

What Is the Missouri Model

Conceptual Framework for the Model

The Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Program Model hastwo major parts: structural and programmatic. The struc-tural pan has five components: Definition and Philosophy,Facilities, Advisory Council, Resources, and StaffingPatterns and Budget. This part is primarily concerned withthe aspects of the program that do not involve contact withstudents, but are essential in the formulation of an overallprogram design. The programmatic part has four com-ponents: Guidance Curriculum, Individual Planning,Responsive Services, and System Support.

For many counselors the focus on guidance curriculumwill be a major change. The Guidance Curriculum consistsof structured developmental experiences presentedsystematically through classroom and group activities. Thepurpose of the curriculum component is to provide studentswith knowledge of normal growth and development, topromote their positive mental health and to assist them inacquiring and using life skills. The Guidance Curriculumis organized around three major areas: (1) Career Planningand Exploration, (2) Knowledge of Self and Others, and(3) Educational Development. These three areas become thefocus for the curriculum component at all levels K-12.

The Individual Planning component consists ofactivities that help all students plan, monitor, and managetheir own learning as well as their personal and career

.40

While (theMissouri Model)is a state model,local districtshave the flexibilityto mod(y it tomeet local needs.

For manycounselors thefocus on guidancecurriculum will bea major change.


development. Within this component, students evaluate theireducational, occupational, and personal goals and plans. Theactivities in this component are counselor planned anddirected and are delivered on an individual basis, byworking with individuals in small groups, or in advisementgroups. Activities within the advisement groups are coun-selor planned and initiated and can be led by counselors.teachers, or other staff members.

The Responsive Services component consists of activ-ities to meet the immediate needs an concerns of students,whether these needs or concerns require counseling,consultation, referral, or information. This component isavailable to all students and is often student-initiated. Whilecounselors have special training and skills to respond tothese needs and concerns, the cooperation and .iupport of theentire faculty and staff is necessary for successful imple-mentation of this component.

The System Support component consists of manage-ment activities that establish, maintain, and en.!..:::::e thetotal guidance program. This component is implementedand carried out through activities in the areas of ProfessionalDevelopment, Staff and Community Relations, Consultationwith Teachers, Advisory Councils, Community Outreach,Program Management and Operations, and Research andDevelopment.

Missouri Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Definition

Guidance and Guidance and Counse". is an integral part of each school'sCounseling...is total educational progilun. It is developmental by design anddevelopmental by includes sequential activities organized and implemented bydesign and certified school counselors with the support of teachers,ifichiers administrators, students and parents. The Guidance Programsequential includes:activities....

1. Guidance Curriculum2. Individual Planning3. Responsive Services4. System Support

41


The program is designed to address the needs of allstudents by helping them to acquire competencies in careerplanning and exploration, knowledge of self and others, andeducational and vocational development.

Our Process of Change

Several steps are involved in implementing the programmodel This process requires a lot of initial planning andeffort. However, developing a comprehensive approachrevitalizes the current program, making it more meaningfuland responsive to changing student, school and communityneeds. The challenge that counselors face is how to makethe transition from their current program to a comprehensiveprogram. The organizational ph, 1 that the counselor iscurrently using will continue while counselors plan andinitiate new concepts and activities derived from the neworganizational process. As plans for implementation aredeveloped, three points must be kept in mind: (1) Under-stand the necessary conditions for change in the schooldistrict or building, (2) Expect some resistance to change,and (3) Appreciate the challenges involved.

Implementation Plan

The implementation plan for the program model has tenprimary steps designed to help local districts begin the plan-n g and implementation process. These ten steps follow:

1. Write program definition and philosophy based onthe Missouri Comprehensive Guidance ProgramModel.

2. Meet with administration and Board of Educationto gain support to implement the requirements ofthe Missouri Comprehensive Guidance ProgramModel.

3. Select and meet with the advisory council.4. Complete the Time and Task Analysis process.5. Complete the Needs Assessment process for stu-

dents, teachers and parents.

...developing acomprehensiveapproachrevitalizes thecurrent program,making U moremeaningful andresponsive tochanging student,school andcommunity needs.


...consideradonmust be given theallocation of timeto carry out thefour majorcomponents.

6. Identify student competencies that address the needareas ranked highest on the Missouri Comprehen-sive Student Needs Survey.

7. Select appropriate guidance learning activities fromthe Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Curricu-lum to address identified needs. Additional activi-ties may be developed to meet local district andcommunity needs.

8. Implement sequential guidance curriculum for eachgrade level or grade-level grouping.

9. Develop a master calendar for each month of theschool year, categorizing activities under theappropriate components.

10. Evaluate the guidance program based on studentcompetency attainment, personnel performance-based evaluation, and the achievement of programstandards.

Program Time Distribution

If program redirection is to take place and guidancepersonnel are to effectively operate within the concept of a"program" then consideration must be given the allocationof time to carry out the four major components. Thesuggested percentages that follow are based on the results ofthe pilot projects carried out in approximately 65 schooldistricts during the field test period. Districts are encouragedto manage their program within this framework in so far aspossible.

Elementary

Guidance Curriculum 35% - 45%

Individual Planning 5% - 10%

Responsive Services 30% - 40%

System Support 10% - 15%

Nonguidance 0%


Middle School/Junior High Level

Guidance Curriculum 25% - 35%




Nonguidance 0%

High School Level

Guidance Curriculum 15% -20%




Nonguidance 0%

Involvement of Significant Others

The statewide success of the Missouri Model Programshould be based on its merits exclusively. Because theprogram is voluntary, its proven success at the pilot sitesneeded to be supplemented by a statewide marketing plan toguarantee widespread implementation.

The successful infusion of the Model into our schoolsdepended on the acceptance and the endorsement ofnumerous publics that are setting the future direction ofMissouri education. The program has grown from theoriginal 22 pilot districts to over 120 school districts. Inaddition, approximately 40 districts are beginning toimplement the model during the 1989-90 school year.

The road to success began with the understanding,acceptance and endorsement of the State Board of Educa-tion, the State Commissioner of Education, Department ofEducation leaders and the Missouri School CounselorsAssociation. Because of the success of the pilot programs

The success ilinfusion of theModel into ourschools dependedon the acceptanceand theendorsement ofnumerous publics.


If a program ofthis magnitude isto be successfullyimplemented andcarried out it mustbecome a teameffort involvingother individualsin the schoolsystem.

the Model was readily accepted by these groups. Next, themerits of the program were presented to the Missouri SchoolBoards Associae.on Membership, as well as the MissouriAssociation of School Administrators, the MissouriAssociation of Elementary School Principals and MissouriAssociation of Secondary School Principals.

Presenting the Model to educational leaders around thestate was a "head on" strategy to promote the MissouriModel. At the same time, work was being done within theMissouri Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation on the restructuring of the school classificationsystem. This work continues to insure that each schooldistrict will have in place program standards and adequateguidance staff for a comprehensive, developmental guidanceprogram. The standards that drive the Missouri Model arebeing incorporated into the new classification system tobegin in 1991. The department continues to hold theposition that implementation is voluntary, with the newclassification system insuring that school distri' s have acomprehensive developmental guidance program.

If a program of this magnitude is to be successfullyimplemented and carried out it must become a team effortinvolving other individuals in the school system. Thebuilding level administrator is one individual who is key tothe success of this program. It is the building administratorwho ultimately has the responsibility for the success of allprograms under his/her control It is the responsibility of theadministration, both at the district and building level, to beinformed about the Missouri Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Model and to approve and support the local plan toimplement the Model. The administration should make surethat adequate time is provided for counselors to inform theschool staff about the comprehensive program. The admin-istration is also responsible for informing the communityabout the Comprehensive Guidance Program and how itwill be implemented.

The involvement ci the teaching staff is critical andteachers should be given the opportunity to volunteer foractive participation in program planning and implemen-tation. Counselors and teachers should have the opportunity

45


to work together in order to plan the delivery of guidancelearning activities. When practical, guidance learningactivities need to be presented in appropriate content areasand the counselor and teacher, as a team, should decidewhen these units are to be presented.

From the beginning, and throughout the development ofthe Model, various task forces have been at work. Throughthe involvement of over 100 people, counselors from allschool levels, building level administrators, central officestaff and counselor educatorsthe program has beendeveloped, improved, and put into place.

Graduate programs at Missouri's universities are a keyto the long-range success of the program statewide. A jointtraining seminar was presented by the leadership of theSchool Counselors Association, counselor educators andDepartment of Education staff. In attendance were repre-sentatives from the counseling staff of each university aswell as the cha:3 of educational administration staffs.

All of Missouri's counselor educations programs nowrequire course work in comprehensive guidance based onthe Missouri Model and its components. As well, plans arecurrently being developed to ensure that all educationadministration students have course work in the Model.

With these new counselors and administrators going intoschools, they expect to have a comprehensive develop-mental guidance program. Ultimately, this will be thecornerstone for the statewide implementation of theMissouri Comprehensive Guidance Program.

Finally, a statewide advisory group has been establishedto review the outcomes and set the direction for theprogram. This very active committee includes schoolcounselors, counselor educators, school administrators midDepartment of Education representatives. The work of thiscommittee resulted in the organization of a "training thetrainers" program for 60 counselors who are operating asuccessful program. These counselors are now available asresources for new participants. The advisory group also ,hascoordinated extensive research on the outcomes of programimplementation for setting future plans.

G

With these newcounselors andadministratorsgoing intoschools, theyexpect to have acomprehensivedevelopmentalguidanceprogram.


The school coun-selor, working asa member of theGuidanceDepartment, has aresponsibility toprovide acomprehensiveguidance programfor all students....

Future Direction of the MissouriComprehensive Guidance Program Model

Currently approximately 125 school districts in Missourihave implemented the Model. For the most part thisimplementation has occurred at the secondary level,although several districts have developed program plans atthe K-12 level. Beginning with the 1989-90 school year,the Missouri Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation will assist an additional 35-40 local districts inthe K-12 implementation process, as well as provideassistance to some of the original project sites to expandtheir programs to include the elementary and middle/juniorhigh school levels.

Additional plans include: (1) continued inservicetraining; (2) a K-12 scope and sequence chart; (3) refine-ment of student needs assessment; (4) review and revisionof the program manual to include effective programevaluation and assessment; (5) articles for various publics;(6) development of a video tape; and (7) further training andawareness for significant groups.

Conclusion

The school counselor, working as a membe- of the GuidanceDepartment, has a responsibility to provide a comprehensiveguidance program for all students in grades K-12 as well asprogram benefits that address the identified needs of allstudents. In addition, the school counselor must consult withteachers, staff and parents to enhance their effectiveness inworxing with students and provide support to other highschool educational programs.

The school counselor has major responsibilities whichcenter around the following:

1. Teaching and implementing the appropriatecurriculum to meet the identified needs of students.

2. Guiding and counseling both groups of students andindividual students through the development ofeducational and career plans.

3. Counseling both small groups of students andindividual students with problems.

7


4. Consulting with teachers, staff and parents aboutmeeting the developmental needs of students.

5. Referring students with severe problems toappropriate community resources after consultationwith their parents.

6. Participating in, coordinating or conductingactivities which contribute to the effective operationof the school.

7. Evaluating and revising the building guidanceprogram.

8. Pursuing professional growth.

At the Missouri Department of Elementary andSecondary Education we believe we have found an effectivemeans to implement a comprehensive, developmentalguidance program K-12 statewide. Once a programmaticframework for guidance is in place, then school counselorsand the programs for which they are responsible will trulyimpact on the lives of thousands of students both in our stateand across our nation.

,, 3

Chapter 3

Comprehensve Guidancein Alaska

Jamie BucknerMarie MacKenzie

In the 1989-90 school year counselors in Alaska arefield testing the Alaska School Counselor ProgramGuide in five school sites, K-12, in both rural andurban districts. This Guide was developed andwritten by a statewide task force of counselors andis based on the Comprehensive Guidance Model.

Historical Perspective of Guidance andCounseling in Alaska

Many counseling and guidance programs across thenation have distinguishing features. But, few can state thattheir counseling and guidance programs are almost as old astheir statehood. Alaska became the 49th state in 1959 and,in 1962, a group of working counselors met to draw up thefirst written document addressing counseling and guidancein Alaska. This document became the state standards. It isimportant to note that through the years the Alaskan efforthas been a grass roots effort which at all times has main-tained a state perspective.

In 1967, a State Department School Counseling Coor-dinator position was created. This position existed until1976. During that period, the Alaska School CounselorsAssociation (ASCA) was established. Excellent conferences

...through theyears the Alas aneffort has been agrass roots effortwhich at all timeshas maintained astate perspective.

39


were organized and school counselors were sent to thenational professional conferences (e.g., The AmericanAssociation for Counseling and Development Convention)at state and local district expense. A Life Career Develop-ment Model: K-12 was developed under the leadership ofDr. Norman C. Gysbers in 1973. After 1976, the StateDepartment of Education in a reorganization eliminated theSchool Counseling Coordinator position. Statewide servicescame to an abrupt halt. The Alaska School CounselorsAssociation began to assume more responsibility for coordi-nating counselors and communicating with them. Profes-sional development and training became the Counselor

...self-preserva- Association's full responsibility. Since self-preservation,don, adjustment adjustment to isolation, and taking care of oneself are allto isolation, and necessary skills for teaching in most of Alaska's schools,taking care of counselors assumed leadership with gusto. Still, it has been°Reser' are all a difficult task under the best of circumstances to networknecessary skills 100 to 200 counselors scattered over a geographic areafor teaching in which spans the width of the "lower 48."most of Alaska's The Association's leaders became more and more con-schools.... caned about the lack of statewide pidelines and turned to

the legislature and State Department of Education for help.In 1980 the legislature appropriated a one-time windfall forguidance and counseling which created two importantstatewide documents: Promising and Practices Criteria forExcellence in Guidance and Counseling, to assess guidanceprograms and provide an informational basis for estab-lishing goals, and the Alaska School Counseling Handbookwhich is still considered the best available state resource forschool counselors.

At the same tire, the Department appointed an employ-ee as Counselor Liaison to work with the leadership of theAlaska School Counselors Association. It was a small stepin the right direction yet the Counselor Liaison felt power-less. First, she already had a full-time job; the CounselorLiaison title was an add-on. And second, there were still nofunds appropriated for statewide guidance and counselingservices. A breakthrough come in 1984 (Public Law 98-524). This created a new focus for the federal appropriationsto vocational education. One of the major purposes of thisAct was to "Improve and extend career guidance andcounseling programs for vocational education students."

50

Comprehensive Guidance in Alaska 41

With the passage of this Act came a renewed state focuson school counseling. The Office of Adult and VocationalEducation requested that the Counselor Liaison reside intheir department and that this liaison also act as grantsmanager of the Carl D. Perkins funds. So with no SchoolCounseling Coordinator at the state level, few adminis-trators with any counseling or guidance background, andeven fewer counseling and guidance educators, the StateDepartment began funding statewide counseling projects viathe grant proc 'ss, giving an agency or district funds toconduct the targeted activities and provide technicalassistance to districts.

From 1984 to the present, the Office of Adult andVocational Education and ASCA Leadership have workedtogether as a team to make decisions on needs and servicesfor Alaska school counseling. The statewide counselingprojects leading to and including the development of theAlaska School Counseling Program Guide have beenfunded via a grant to The South East Regional ResourceCenter for coordination.

In spite of the recession, the State Department continuesto show commitment to the counseling program. This yearthey requested a full-time Counseling Coordinator position.This position has been approved and will be staffed duringthe summer.

Search for and Choice of a Model

The Carl D. Perkins Act really opened the door for develop-ment of a state comprehensive counseling plan. A statewideneeds assessment revealed that change in school counselingwas needed. A state Professional Development Plan forCareer and Vocational Guidance, in concert with thePerkins Act, was to be written. This domment was to beprepared by a statewide counselor team in 1985. The teamwas selected with their mission clearly stated: "Givecounselors the opportunity to take the lead in selecting,designing and implementing professional developmentprograms." With this clearly in mind, the team created theobjective of "developing and implementing a developmentalmodel in career and vocational guidance." This group had

kr")1..,

A statewide needsassessmentrevealed thatchange in schoolcounseling wasneeded.


reviewed the statewide Status and Needs Survey on SchoolCounseling and discovered that Alaskan counselors areconsidered an ancillary service, often facing the demands ofa local administrator. With no statewide policy, there hasbeen no central voice to set guidelines. Counselors' roles inAlaska are enforced only by Accreditation Standards. Thestate does not monitor programs that are implemented bycounselors.

The team felt that a model was needed to insure that allstudents will have some minimal services. ks one concernedteam member put it,

If a counselor can now spend 80 percent of the timeregistering students for courses, how can one eventhink that all students will receive tral.sition help inmaking career choices? The state can implement aprogram like the Alaska Career Information Systembut who offers it to the students? How do counselorsplan their programs? Do they serve all students?

The team collected examples of exemplary programs andasked that a Task Force be appointed to develop such amodel in 1987-88.

In the long-range The state wanted consistency and not a short-termplan the number project. In the long-range plan the number one counselorone counselor priority was the selection of a comprehensive model. Com-priority was the prehensive counseling and guidance models were reviewed.selection of a Gysbers' Comprehensive School Guidance Model wascomprehensive selected because it was unique in several ways from themodel. other models reviewed: (1) A guidance curriculum was

addressed and a learning activity format included. (2) Arecommended time allocation was developed for eachcomponent. (3) The Model was clear and easy to read.(4) The Model was appealing because it approached coun-seling and guidance as a PROGRAM. (5) It offered amethod to organize what Alaskan counselors were aLreadydoing and it clearly established a process for schools toeliminate non-guidance/counseling tasks. (6) And, becauseneeds of youth are constantly changing the Model offeredflexibility and the opportunity to encourage creativity iiidiverse situations.

The group sought a model with a positive appmar h thatincorporated the preventive, remedial, and crisis approaches.

52


In many regions of Alaska, only an itinerant school coun-selor may serve a geographic area larger than some states,so it was important to provide a model in which all schoolpersonnel could work together. It also allowed counselorsmore control in designing the program. The ComprehensiveSchool Guidance Model allowed for the Alaska tradition ofbuilding counselor support at the grass roots level. A groupof working counselors examined the Model and found iteminently suitable.

Tuning was certainly a significant factor in the selection.Both at the state and the national levels, it appeared that adevelopmental model was increasingly important. Muchinformation about developmental guidance programs wasbecoming available to the educational community. It wasalso significant that Alaskans tend to think of themselves asremote and behind the rest of the world in areas such asservice and technology. But this search for a new guidanceprogram was right on track. Dr. Norm Gysbers, already wellknown and respected in Alaska because of his early LifeCareer Development Model (1973), had established hiscredibility as someone who understands the diversity ofAlaska's needs.

Everyone agreed that the right "guidance model" for theState of Mas Ica had been found, a model that set forth acomprehensive program of guidance and counseling firmlygrounded on the principles of human growth and untier-standing that we sought for our state.

Strategies Alaska Used in GainingAdoption of the Model

Counselors in Alaska have become adept at looking forevery available option and opportunity that will improvecounseling and guidance. In retrospect, all kinds of strate-gies have been employed in adopting and developing theAlaska School Counselor Program Guide.

Unique Features of the State

School Counselors in Alaska deal with diversity of systemand service in delivering counseling and guidance The

or. 3

Everyone agreedthat the right"guidance model"for the State ofAlaska had beenfound....

Counselors inAlaska havebecome adept atlooking for everyavailable optionand opportunitythat will improvecounseling andguidance.


delivery may take place in a large urban counseling centeror in a corner of a library in a rural setting. Itinerant coun-selors fly to Bush communities in every kind of inclementweather. Other counselors travel in snow machines inequally harsh environs to their assigned villages, usuallyworking with Alaskan Native students. In many settings,counselors have half-time counseling and teaching assign-

Counselors must ments. Counselors must be sensitive to the many multi-be sensitive to the cultural issues in our state. Currently, for all ages, themany multi- Alaskan Native suicide rate is almost four times the nationalcultural issues in average.our state. The unique features of the state had be considered:

Alaska has 437 public schools in 55 school districts andmore than 103,000 students. The total population of the stateis 500,000. Counselors in the last decade have almostdoubled from about 100 to 200 in number. Of the 200,25 percent serve in a K-12 capacity; 40 percent work as theonly counselor in their building and/or district; and, 45percent are considered Bush counselors. (Bush originallydescribed large expanses of wilderness beyond the fringesof civilization inhabited by trappers and miners. Bush todayhas come to mean any part of Alaska not accessible by mad:A community accessed by only air, water, sled or snowmachine transportation is considered a Bush village, andaryone living there is someone from the Bush.)

Bush counselors Bush counselors are often "itinerant" counselors. Forare often example, in one district there are two itinerant K-12"itinerant" counselors that each travel to five villages. There are 600counselors. s:ndents in the entire district but they are scattered

throughout a land area of 64,626 square miles (size ofWisconsin and Vermont). The counselors travel Nfa plane toeach of their sites.

The other "itinerant" counselors in the state ar!. the ele-mentary school counselors in urr,,in areas. About 40 percentof the elementary counselors travel from one school toanother to provide services. In oth,.. words, these urbanelementary counselors serve two or more schools.

The schools range in size from five students (in Igiugig)to 1,908 (in an Anchorage high school). The districts theybelong to also vary greatly in their enrollments, e.g., 47 ofthe 55 schcol districts enroll fewer students than oneAnchorage high school. The median size of districts (which

co 4

ALASKASim 586,412 wpm' milesPopulation: 539,600

Map sNows the Ines of the school dstricts In Alaska Names ofstates that are comparable in size to each dobld have beenwritten within the district boundaries

Sample School District:YUKON/KOYUKUK SCHOOL DISTRICT

Su. 64,626 square miles$4,461 swore fides In Wisconsin

9,287 square nil.' in Vermont

Number of Children In Distdd 600Number 01 Villages 10

This is one of 55 Mulcts In the staleThere are no roads in this dstrIct To get from one village to

another most people by in small planes. Local people veil usesnow machines or throe wheelers in the wider to travel woundthief slap orb nearby Ago*.Two linerant Couneelors serve this dark! They each serve five

villices and travel by anal (six passen$018ans

46 COMPREHENSIVE JUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Most districts aregenerally small interms ofenrollment yetenormous ingeographic size.

Reassuringitinerantcounselors thattheir concernswould be ascarefullyaddressed as thoseof the urbancounselors waskept in mind atall times.

t

range from 50 students in Pelican to over 40,000 inAnchorage) is 416 students. Most students attend publicschools in their home communities.

Most districts are generally small in terms of enrollmentyet enormous in geographic size. In the northern andwestern parts of the state and the interior, these districtsserve communities that are not on the road system andwhose populations are predominantly Alaska Natives.

Recognizing the special multicultural needs of Alaska isof importance to every counselor in the state. The uniqueneeds of the Alaska Native student are being carefullyaddressed. The Alaska School Counselor Program Gride isbeing screened by multicultural experts to make certain themodel is both sensitive and applicable to these needs.

Preplanning and Selection of the Task Force

Preplanning and the selection of the Task Force were nexton the agenda. Appointment of the Task Force had to focuson counselors coming from diverse school districts. The keywas to get outstanding counselor leaders from throughoutthe state to serve on the Task Force. Emphasizing outreachto all regions of Alaska and to all counselors was a majorpart of the effort. Reassuring itinerant counselors that theirconcerns would be as carefully addressed as those of theurban counselors was kept in mind at all times. Informationwas sent through ASCA, articles were printed and presen-tations were made at conferences.

The Task Force was then appointed and it was made upof experts who represented eh mentary, middle andsecondary levels. The rural and urban areas of differentsizes were also represented. Two district administrators whowere strong counseling supporters were appointed and anational leader, Dr. Norm Gysbers, who had developed theComprehensive School Guidance Model was also added tothe Task Force. The Task Force now totaled 12 members.The Project Coordinator was Jamie Buckner, assisted byMarie MacKenzie, both employees of the South EastRegional Resource Center. The initial draft was developedin February 1988 during three on-site meetings thatencompassed six working days. An additional teleconfer-ence was held. Because Alaska has few major road systems,


Task Force members had to fly in for meetings, a mostexpensive process. The group had to he completely taskoriented and they were successful.

Appointment of Advisory Committee

The appointment of the Advisory committee was a first foran Alaskan counseling project and a major strategy. TheAdvisory Committee members are mainly from Juneau(again flying people in for meetings can be prohibitive) butit has a wide variety of members. The Executive Director ofthe Governor's Council on Vocational and Career Educationand the Professional Assistant to a state legislator are co-chairs of the Committee. The Department of EducationCounselor Liaison also serves on the Committee. The12memb..x committee initially met to receive backgroundinformation and most importantly, define their role. Thisincluded:

1. Reviewing and making recommendations on theAlaskan School Counseling Program Guide.

2. Reviewing and making recommendations on the"Program Implementation Strategies."

3. Providing advice and guidance on how the TaskForce can: (a) develop a plan tl achieve adoption ofthe Alaska School Counselor Program Guide, withassistance from Advisory Committee memberswhere advisable and feasible; (b) develop a network-ing plan with statewide policy makers, professionalorganizations and pertinent community groups;(c) develc a public relations plan for counselors andthe Alaska School Counselor Program Glade; and(d) develop a plan for obtaining funding to imple-ment the Alaska School Counselor Program Guide.

The group in later meetings added two subcommittees:Adoption And Finance, and Networking And PublicRelations.

The Task Force shared the first draft of the AlaskaSchool Counselor Pro gram Guide with the AdvisoryCommittee and requested input. The input was received,considered and acted upon by the Task Force. The Advisory

Ask Forcemembers had tofly in formeetings....Thegroup had to becompletely taskoriented and theywere successful.


The AdvisoryCommitteebroughtenthusiasm andencouragement tothe project andcontinues to standready to assistwhen needed.

Public relationstechniques werecertainly a majorstrategy.

Committee brought enthusiasm and encouragement to theproject and continues to stand ready to assist when needed.

Using the Political Process

The role of the Alaska School Counselor Association(ASCA) was also important in the plan. Not only was theorganization helpful in identifying counselor leaders, it alsoeducated legislators about the purpose of the Task Force.The Association actively sought legislative support. Thiswas most significant because nationally and statewide therehad been much focus on youth. Various state Task Forceshad been brought together to address this concern. Theseincluded:

1. Governor's Interim Commission on Children andYouth (GICCY)

2. Hensley's Suicide Committee3. Governor's Council on Vocational & Career

Education4. The Alaska Coalition for Education

The groups acknowledge the important role the schoolcounselor plays. The most prestigious group was "TheGovernor's Interim Commission on Children and Youth."One of this Commission's main recommendations was to"Initiate and expand School Counseling Programs in gradesK-12, especially at the elementary level." Anchorage, thelargest school district in the state, responded by hiring theirfirst nine elementary counselors in the 1988-89 school year.In the 1989-90 school year, budget permitting, they hope toadd thirteen more elementary counselors.

Public Relations Techniques

Public relations techniques were certainly a major strategy.Conference presentations, newsletters, distributions ofbrochures, local school inservice, school board presentationsand articles for the media have all been utilized. A printedscript was also prepared so that presentations would beuniform. A video for training on the Guide is currently highon the wish list. Resolutions that urge the state government

afi


of Alaska to initiate, expand, and fund counseling programsin grades K-12 have now been adopted by:

ASCA Executive Board

ASCA General Membership

Alaska Association of ElementarySchool Principals

Alaska Association of SecondarySchool Principals

Alaska Association of SchoolAdministrators

Alaska State VocationalAssociation

The Lake and PeninsulaSchool District

National Education Associationhas endorsed K-12 counselingprograms

October 21,1988

October 22,1988

October 18, 1988

October 18, 1988

November 11, 1988

October 22,1988

January 13, 1988

January 1988

On May 2, 1989 a special presentation was made on theAlaska School Counselor Program Guide to the AlaskaState School Board. A most articulate Usk Force memberwas selected to address the group. The Board took imme-diate action. They adopted the Alaska School CounselorProgram Guiue as the state model! They also passed amotion to adopt the National School Boards Associationresolution on Guidance and Counseling which reads:

The Alaska State School Board (ASSB) encourageslocal school boards to support comprehensive guid-ance and counseling programs, kindergarten throughgrade 12, staffed by professionally trained coun-seling personnel. ASSB also urges local boards, stateeducational agencies and the federal government tosupport activities aimed at improving the educationof school counselors, the development of exemplaryguidance and pupil service models and researchwhich examines the effectiveness of such programs.(Resolution adopted at regular ASSB meetingMay 2, 1989.)


INIMMIIIMMThe nationalmodel includessome particularlyhelpful portionsthat pertain to thedevelopment ofstudentcompetencies....

Incorporating the National Career DevelopmentGuidelines by NOICC

The NOICC (National Occupational Information Coor-dinating Committee) and SOICC (State OccupationalInformation Coordinating Committee) leadership were alsohelpful in the process. They have shared pertinent informa-tion and exertea leadership. NOICC also invited threemembers of the Task Force to join the training in Portland,Oregon on how to use the National Career DevelopmentGuidetizes. It was reassuring to find out that the AlaskaSchool Counselor Program Guide fit into the nationalmodel. The national model includes some particularly help-ful portions that pertain to the development of student com-petencies as well as the development of evaluation criteria.

Selection and Training of Field-test Sites

The program is now moving into the first steps of imple-mentation. The Office of Adult and Vocational Educationwill sponsor the selection and training of five field-test sitesfor implementation during the 1989-90 school year. TheSouth East Regional Resource Center personnel willcoordinate the project.

There will be many people watching as the five field-testsites begin implementing the Guide. The success andenthusiasm of each site will play a key role in the futureimplementation of comprehensive school counselingprograms throughout the state It is critical that these sitesreceive adequate technical assistance and that the staffunderstand the critical role they play in the future of schoolcounseling in Alaska.

State Department Technical Assistance

The Department of Education has added a full time SchoolCounseling Coordinator position to their Basic EducationUnit. The position was approved during the legislativesession which ended May 1989. It is anticipated that thiscoordinator will assist in providing the necessary technicalassistance for implementation of the program.

f30


It is very important that technical assistance be avail-able, especially in the rural areas. The needs of the itinerantcounselors who wort in the Bush and may fly to a differentvillage every ogler day, will be far different than those of theurban counselors who already have other counselors forsupport, materials easily available, and perhaps even clericaland counseling aids. The State Board of Education will needto be constantly apprised, perhaps by newsletter, of thestatus of the first five field-testing programs.

Project Successes

The major areas of achievement to date have been: (1) state-wide recognition that change is needed in counselingprograms; (2) the consensus that a comprehensive, develop-mental school counseling program should be implementedthroughout the state; (3) the actual writing of the com-prehensive Alaska School Counselor Program Guide; and,(4) the endorsement of the Guide by the Alaska State SchoolBeard.

The Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee has proved to be the biggest sup-port and most positive force behind the project. Theirparticipation went far beyond what was originally antici-pated. After the initial writing of the comprehensiveprogram, Advisory Committee members chose to becomean ad hoc committee rather than disband. They wanted to beavailable to reconvene when needed and have volunteeredto present the Alaska School Counselor Program Guide tothe State School Board.

The utilization of these professionals has givenincreased respect to the project. The Alaska School Coun-selor Program Guide is viewed as important and crediblebecause influential people, other than school counselors,speak on its behalf. Members of the Advisory Committeeinclude legislative representatives, the Director of theGovernor's Council on Vocational and Career Education, auniversity dean, State Department of Education officials,Native leaders, a school principal and a Department ofLabor SOICC representative.

,;

It is veryImportant thattechnicalassistance beavailable,especially in therural areas.

The AlaskaSchool CounselorProgram Guideis viewed asimportant andcredible becauseinfluential people,other than schoolcounselors, speakon its behati.


...importantcounselingresolutions havebeen adopted bysix statewideassociations, onelocal schooldistrict and twoexecutiveboards....

The Boardendorsed the"Guide" as thestate model....Their support hasadded tremendousmomentum tofutureimplementation.

Adoption of Resolutions

The political component has been powerful. The AlaskaSchool Counseling Association president, president-electand government relations chair as well as two past presi-dents were on the Task Force. They, in turn, have publicizedand supported the importance of developing a statewidecomprehensive guide and promoted it to other school coun-selors, legislators and education leaders throughout the state.As a result, important counseling resolutions have beenadopted by six statewide associations, one local school dis-trict and two executive boards during the past six months.The adopted resolutions are listed in the Alaska SchoolCounseling Program Guide.

Endorsement of the Guide by the Alaska StateSchool Board

When the development of the Alaska School CounselorProgram Guide first started, an implementation plan wasoutlined. Based on previous experiences in our state, it wasdecided that no formal requests would be made to our StateSchool Board until a quality school counseling program wasdesigned and the need and support for its implementationdemonstrated. We wanted the support of counselors andlocal administrators before seeking State School Boardendorsement.

We provided information to the Board about the project.They knew that a program was being; designed. As soon asthe Guide was printed, each Board member was sent a copyand a presentation was scheduled on the Board agenda. TheBoard endorsed the Guide as the state model at this first pre-sentation! Their endorsement acknowledged their recogni-tion of a need for change in school counseling programs.Their support has added tremendous momentum to futureimplementation.

Creation of a Counseling Coordinator Position atthe Department of Education

The creation of a Counseling Coordinator at the Departmentof Education has been a continuing goal of Alaska coun-selors. This year, for the first time since 1976, the Depart-

62


ment built two counseling coordinator positions into theirbudget. One position has been approved by the legislature.The position is expected to be filled during the summer of1989. The enthusiasm among counselors is overwhelming.This person will add long overdue continuity to counselingservices and provide statewide coordination.

Requests for the Comprehensive Guide

The Alaska School Counselor Program Guide is nowavailable to districts as a "Working Document." It hasundergone six revisions by the Task Force in one year'stime. This is the Guide's first public release. Of the 55school districts, 34 have mailed written requests to theproject coordinator for a copy of this document. Requestsfor additional information have been made by schoolsuperintendents, school board members, building principalsand counselors. These requests were mainly from theinformation brochure which inclu' a a tear-off request cardwhich could be filled out, stamped and dropped in the mail.

E' aluation of Presentations

A presentation packet was developed for Task Foh,eMembers to use when making a presentation on the AlaskaSchool Counselor Program Guide, e.g., an overview duringa school staff meeting, a workshop for a counselor meetingor a school board presentation. An evaluatioi form wasincluded in the packet. The form was collected at the end ofeach presentation and submitted to the project coordinator.Evaluations have been completed by school counselors andadministrators at the Alaska School Cuunselors Associationof School Boards State Conference, by community membersat the initial joint meeting of the Task Force and Advisor:Committee and by local school staff at three local dish ]. c.:presentations.

The ratings were: 1= poor, 2 = fair, 3 = average, 4 = verygood, and, 5 = excellent. Of the 92 evaluations received bythe project coordinator, the overall workshop average was4.92 (near excellent). In other words, Alaskan educators are;.,:sitive about the idea of a comprehensive school counsel-ing plan for our state. The most frequent comments have

1; 3


As the projectunfolds there is agrowing feeling ofpride andownership of theproject by theState Department.

been "It's about time we have a counseling program guide"and "I'm anxious to receive the document."

Department of Education Enthusiasm

The money for the development of this comprehensiveguide was given to the South East Regional Resource Center(a non-profit agency) by the Department of Education,Office of :adult and Vocational Education. These funds wereused for project development, delivery and technicalassistance. As the project unfolds there is a growing feelingof pride and ownership of the project by the StateDepartment. The Commissioner of Education has beeninvolved from the initial stages and has appointed several ofhis key personnel to serve on the Advisory Committee.Educational Program Support, the Rural and Native IssuesUnit, the Health and Equity Unit and the Office of Adultand Vocational Education have joined together to coordinatesupport efforts for this statewide counseling project.

Additional Support Groups

Other interest groups continue to promote the need forcounseling services and school counselors as well as theneed for a comprehensive developmental model for thestate. The "all powerful" Coalition on Educa,,,,, inade upof the State School Board, Alaska School BoardsAssociation, National Education Association, State ParentTeacher Association, Alaska Superintendents Association,Municipal League and Chamber of Commerce, is the mostinfluential group now supporting school counseling.

Future Plans

Field-testiag of Guide

The Department of Education, Office of Adult and Voca-tional Education has released funds to SERRC (whichinclude Carl Perkins Federal allocations) for the first year offield-testing of the Alaska School Counselor ProgramGuide. It is to be field-tested in fivz school sites, gradesK-12, including both rural and urban districts during the

1 4

Comprehensive Guidance in Alaska

1989-90 school year. It is anticipated that a minimum oftwo years will be needed for comprehensive field-testingand revision, leading to implementation of the model pro-gram in districts statewide. The Alaska School CounselorProgram Guide is written as a "Working Document" so thatrevisions and additions made during field-testing can beeasily incorporated.

During the first year, field-test sites are expected to:(1) write their program definition and philosophy based onthe Alaska School Counselor Program; (2) meet withadministration and local Board of Education to gain supportto implement the requirements of the Alaska SchoolCounselor Pro gra?r; (3) select and meet with the localAdvisory Committee; (4) complete a counselor time andtask analysis process; and, (5) complete the needs assessment process for students, teachers anJ parents and reviewresults with administration.

Task Force members, including National facilitator, Dr.Norm Gysters, will be the key personel used to train thestaff in field-testing sites. These people are our Experts!They have specific understanding of the Alaska SchoolCounselor Program Guide because they are the counselorsand counseling coordinators who developed the Guide. It isessential to use their expertise and enthusiasm for sharingwith other statewide groups.

During the second year, field-test sites are expected to:(1) identify student competencies that address the greatestneeds of their students; (2) select appropriate learningactivities to meet district and community needs; (3) imple-ment sequential counseling curriculum for each grade levelor wade-level grouping; (4) develop a master calendar foreach month of the school year; and, (5) evaluate the coun-selhg program.

Dissemination of Information and Training

While field-testing is being conducted, it is important tokeep the rest of the public interested and informed about theAlaska School Counselor Program Guide and the imple-mentation process. Various public relations methods will beused. Specific training will be offered for those wishing to

It is anticipatedthat a minimumof two years willbe needed forcomprehensivefield-testing andrevision....

55

While field- testingis beingconducted, it isimportant to keepthe rest of thepublic interestedand informedabout the AlaskaSchool CounselorProgramGuide....


adept and implement the Guide. These various methods aredescribed in greater detail below:

Offer Graduate Courses. A -visory Committee andcommunity members have recommended that Universitycourses be offered on comprehensive, developmental guid-ance and counseling. Specific courses should address theimplementation of the Alaska School Counselor ProgramGuide for school counselors, administrators, teachers andschool board members. It is proposed to offer this courseduring the summer of 1990 at the Alaska Staff DevelopmentNetwork Summer Academy, organized by the Departmentof Education, University of Alaska, local school districts,and others, and held on the University of Alaska Campusesin Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. The summer coursesare eight hours per day for one week. Educators can attendimmediately after school closes and still have a summerbreak. Thus, this is a very popular summer course plan forAlaskan educators and is a way to teach educators about theimportance of a comprehensive school counseling programand help train staff for implementation of the developmentalGuide.

Continue Presentations. As the Guide goes to five fieldsites it is still a new or "never heard of concept for manyeducators and community members. The need to continuepresenting the Alaska School Counselor Program Guide tocounselors, administrators, parents and community groups isnecessary. Brochures will be distributed at all majoreducational conferences. Task Force Members and newfield-test staff will be asked to make local presentationswhen appropriate.

Counselor training programs will be targeted forpresentations daring the 1989-90 school year.

Develop a Training Tape. With declining revenues, airtravel for training is a bather. By videotaping the sessions ofthe first field-test groups, and the sessions at the AlaskaStaff Development Network Summer Academy, a trainingtape will then be available to distribute to any sites request-ing additional help.

Use Teleconferencing for Meeting. The use of telecon-ference calls is already a familiar process to Alaskans. Allfield-test sites can join together for regular meetings, share

06


experiences and receive some training via the teleconferenceFystem.

Additional Implementation Sites

During the 1990-91 school year additional school sites willbe setcted as implementation sites. They will continue thetwo year cycle of field-testing. It is proposed that each yeara minimum of five to ten sites will begin implementationuntil all sites who want to offer a comprehensive schoolcounseling program are trained.

Emphasis on Parent Groups

Parents were recognized by both the Task Force andAdvisory Committee as a most important resource and mostvalued support group. It is the inten. to focus more on parentpresentations at the state and local levels via PTA and ParentAdvisory Boards.

Advice to New Implementers

We have all learned a great deal as we have advanced thegoal of a working school counseling program guide. A, withany new project, there have been successes and pitfalls. ThisAlaskan Guide has yet to be field-tested, thus the followingadvice relates only to tke initial development and accep-tance of the comprehensive model.

Appoint a Project Coordiaator

When making substantial changes, either on a state ordistrict level, it is imperative that someone be "in charge,"one person who can keep all the various pieces together. Ata state level this can be the Counseling Coordinator or aproject coordinator contracted via the grant process. Atdistrict level this could be the District CounselingCoordinator or one key counselor. At either level this personneeds to be extremely organized, have a broad perspectiveabout guidance and counseling needs and be well respectedby colleagues.

( # i

Parents wererecognized byboth the TaskForce andAdvisoryCommittee as amost importantresource and mostvalued supportgroup.

When makingsubstantialchanges, either ona state or districtlevel, it isimperative thatsomeone be "incharge."


Thsk Forcemembers must bewell respectedamong theircolleagues andrepresent eachcounseling leveland eachgeographic area.

Counselor Ownership of the Model is Es. _Mal

Even though the basic developmental guidance and coun-seling structure is already developed, it is imperative thatcounselors both at a state and local level are given the taskof adopting/adapting the model. A statewide Task Force isessential for a state model, as is a district counseling com-mittee for schooi district adoption.

Carefully Select the Task Force and AdvisoryCommittee

Careful selection of these team members equates with highlevel success rather than heartbreak. Use a selection team tonominate members. The project coordinator, a state coun-selor leader, and the Department of Education School Coun-seling Coordinator make a good selection team.

Task Force members must be well respected among theircolleagues and represent each counseling level and eachgeographic area. They must be progressive thinkers andknowledgeable about their field. They must be task orientedbecause there is much to do in a very short period of time.

The Advisory Committee lacked two important mem-bers: a student representative and a member of privateindustry. These two individuals should be on both thestatewide committee and on local school district counselingcommittees.

Keep the Momentum Going

If you are the Project Coordinator or are part of the teamresponsible for public relations, there will be times whenyou are scheduled for other things, e.g., to work on otherprojects, perhaps write reports, or even to rest. You must beflexible. In Alaska the project has been so widely embraced(beyond all expectations) that project staff really had to shiftgears. Many of the plans for year two were moved forward.The momentum was so forceful that key players had to keepgoing, producing additional handouts, responding tounexpected requests for all kinds of information, andmeeting requests to make special presentations.


Give Recognition When Recognition is Due

The time, concentration, hard work and commitmentnecessary for a project of this magnitude to succeed must berecognized. People involved need some hugs, thanks, starsand general praise along the way. Some of the recognitionideas used this past year include:

1. The Alaska School Counselors Association fundedthe refreshments at the initial Task Force/AdvisoryCommittee meeting. A simple sign, nicely printed,was displayed saying "YOU ARE IMPORTANT"and "Refreshments Compliments of the AlaskaSchool Counselors Association."

2. The success of the initial Task Force/Advisory Com-mittee Meeting was seen as crucial to the project. Allmembers were presented with a Certificate ofAppreciation signed by the Commissioner ofEducation and the Director of the Office of Adultand Vocational Education. An Alaska SchoolCounselors Association pin was given to eachAdvisory Committee Member along with a note thatstated how important that person was to the projectand that the ssociation recognized their services.

3. Pictures were taken at most of the meetings and usedin a variety of ways. For example, a 3-1/2" x 5"group picture of the Task Force was matted in abright color. Names were typed on labels andattached to the back of the pictures. One of these wassent to each member as a "Thank You" from theproject coordinator. It was felt that if each picturewas matted the recipient would be more likely todisplay it in his/her office. Also, a wall display wasmade by a graphic designer using several picturesincluding one of the Commissioner of Education, theDirector of the Office of Adult and VocationalEducation, and the counselor liaison. This displayhas been used at state confererrls, at the Departmentof Education and at a display during AmericanVocational Education Week.

4. During National School Counseling Week the TaskForce members sent flowers with signed Valentinecards to important supporters of the Alaska School

People involvedneed some hugs,thanks, stars andgeneral praisealong the way.

The success of theinitial TaskForce /AdvisoryCommitteeMeeting was seenas crucial to theproject.


A small note ofencouragement tothe project coor-dinator will keepmomentum goingeven when thework load seemsoverwhelming.

Counseling Program Guide. The cards were signedat the most recent Task Force meeting, making thegift very personal.

5. Personal, handwritten "Thank You" notes' are alwaysappreciated. A small note of encouragement to theproject coordinator will keep momentum going evenwhen the work load seems overwhelming. A specialcomment to an Advisory Committee member whomakes extra contributions is not only good publicrelations but personally rewarding.

6. A letter recognizing the hard work of the projectcoordinator was sent to her boss! This may be one ofthe best PR strategies. The project coordinatorreceived praise via the letter, but the boss also gaveher additional positive remarks and filed the letter inher personnel file. We all want our boss to know thatwe are working hard. Having someone else tell thisto the bo' is a special bonus. Consider this strategywhen you want to offer special thanks to someone,when it is sincere and warranted. It will be moreappreciated than pictures, candy, or flowers and thecost is minimal.

Be Receptive to Changes in the Document

Ownership is essential but, at the same time, the Task Forcemembers and project coordinator must be receptive tochanging ti.e document when appropriate and allc ....ing othercounselors in other school districts to make adjustments tofit their situation.

Keep the Project in Front of the Public

Alaskans learned many lesson3 in the winter of 1989 whenCounselors must the whales were saved in the coastal waters near Barrow,never pass up a Alaska. Alaska's counselors, for example, learned that ifchance to you keep a project before the public you stand to gain alldistribute kinds of unexpected support (along with criticism) frombrochures at every type of viewer. Counselors must never pass up aconferences, chance to distribute brochures at conferences, make work-make workshop shop presentations or talk to the media. When you discusspresentations or your project there is bound to be some criticism, but thetalk to the media. overwhelming support gained will outweigh the jeers.

70


Utilize State and National Experts as Trainers

When training is planned always use the best trainersavailable. Select national experts in the field of compre-hensive guidance to begin the project. Once staff is trainedwithin the state, use these people to conduct training.

We selected Dr. Norman Gysbers to help us begin ourproject. Now members of the statewide Task Force are thekey trainers. These members have specific understanding ofthe Alaska School Counselor Program Guide because theyare the counselors and counseling coordinators whodeveloped the Guide. They are known to be professionaland well respected by colleagues (they were selected asteam members because of their talents). It is essential to usetheir expertise and enthusiasm for sharing with otherstatewide groups.

Seek State Board of Education Endorsement

Requesting State School Board of Education endorsement ofthe state model for school counseling should be a major goalof all states. Preparing for the presentation ensures thatattention to quality and detail has been addressed. It addscredibility to counseling and is a great public relationsstrategy.

Focus on Statewide Issues

Your project coordinator and committee members mustmaintain a statewide perspective. Tune in to the issues thatare currently being addressed by other state leaders. Whatare the issues facing your legislature? What topics continueto surface in the newspapers and on the news? If you wantstatewide support for a comprehensive guidance programyou must address current issues.

In 1988 the Anchorage Daily News iiszeived the PulitzerPrize for a 10-week series titled "People in Peril." The seriesfocused on the Alaska Native population and the many at-risk issues faced in villages across the state, e.g.,alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome, teen pregnancy and theepidemic levels of suicide. This series aroused leadersthroughout Alaska to take immediate action. It war, a criticaltime for school counselors to get involved, to pubLize theirroles and participate in outlining solutions.

lkIf you wantstatewide supportfor a compre-hensive guidanceprogram you mustaddress currentissues.


The Alaska School Counselor Program Guide TaskForce members served on various committees established toaddress these problems. The findings of these groups wereincorporated into our Guide. The statewide concern forAlaska's youth provided us with a forum for discussing theneed for comprehensive school counseling programs.

Resources

South East Regional Resource Center. (1989). Alaskaschool counseling program guide. Juneau, AK: Author.(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. CG 011994)

P49i Ad

Chapter 4

Comprehensive Guidancein Montgomery County,Maryland

John P. Goodloe

Montgomery County Maryland Public Schoolsserve a county that covers 500 miles and has morethan 685,000 inhabitants: It is one of the 20 largestschool systems in the nation as well as one of themost affluent. The process of revitalizing theguidance program in the Montgomery CountyPublic Schools began in the early 1980s.

Introduction

How many times have you ever considered changing yourmeans of regular transportation? After coming to theconclusion that a change is necessary and that another carwould be appropriate, quite a few questions need to beanswered: "Should I get a new car or a late model, pre-viously owned vehicle?" "What size car does my familyneed?" "Do I get a standard or automatic transmission?""Which dealership should I patronize?" "Whrit have otherssaid about certain models?" "N; :h car is most con-venient?" "What does Consumer Reports say?" "Do I knowreliable mechanics who can expertly work on my car ofchoice?"

73 63


Believe it or not, the above decision-making scenario isanalogous to the process of implementing a new system-wide guidance and counseling program: Do we really needto change our guidance and counseling program? Arestudents well served by our current program? Should werework what we have or start over completely? Where dowe start looking for model programs? Wnat is the state ofMaryland saying now about guidance and counseling? Doconsultants exist "out there" who can work with us todevelop a new way of delivering guidance and counseling?Is there a difference between seeing guidance and coun-

Do any national seling as a service or as a program? Do any national move-movements exist ments exist that are encouraging change in the area ofthat are guidance and counseling? Do we have professionals in ourencouraging own system who can plan, design, develop, implement, andchange In the evaluate a new and different guidance and counselingarea of guidance program? Is this program going to meet the needs of all ofand counseling? our students? Can others be involved in program delivery?

What kinds of training and resources are necessary for thecounselors, administrators, and other staff members?

These questions and many, many others were asked andare continuing to be asked as Montgomery County PublicSchools (MCPS) in Maryland proceeds with the implemen-tation of our Comprehensive Guidance and CounselingProgram. Montgomery Connty is a suburb just north ofWashington, D.C. and is among the ten most affluentcounties in the nation. The public school system is the thirdlargest of Maryland's 24 school systems and one of the 20largest in the nation. It serves a county that covers 500 milesand has more than 685,000 inhabitants.

Montgomery County has 162 schools: 20 high schools,22 middle schools, 111 elementary schools, and nine facili-ties providing career and vocational education and specialeducation. The number of schools is growing as the school-age population continues to increase. The county presentlyemploys 254 counselors. This number is also continuing togrow.

In the following pages we will provide a look at what wehave done in the Montgomery County Public Schools tochange our program and revitalize guidance and counseling,an all-important area of our students' school lives.Dr. Norman Gysbers, counselor educator at the University

Comprehensive Guidance in Montgomery County, Maryland 65

of Missouri, was instrumental in the framing of what wenow call our guidance and counseling program. His effortson our behalf continue and we anticipate that he will be apart of our program for some time to come.

Ti.is problem-solving "change adventure" that we beganwas not without its ups and downs, frustrations andexhilarations. We certainly came in for our share of com-plaints as well as praise. Yet, we can confidently say thatguidance and counseling in the Montgomery County PublicSchools will never be the same as the result of our Compre-hensive Guidance and Counseling Program (CGCP).

County Needs and Program Adoption

Maryland's Pupil Services plan includes the following threebroad goals for guidance programs in the Maryland schools:

1. Guidance programs in Maryland shall facilitate thepersonal and academic growth of all students.

2. Guidance programs in Maryland shall ensure thedevelopment of educational and decision makingskills of all students.

3. Guidance programs in Maryland shall promote thedevelopment of interpersonal skills among allstudents.

These goals address three broad areas of students' needsat all grade levels (K-12) as reported by parents, teachers,and students statewide. In addition, general studentoutcomes (competencies) which relate to each of the goalswere established. A philosophy and definition of the SchoolGuidance Program in Maryland established the basicfoundation for programming at the local level.

The adoption of program structure is merely a first stepin establishing a comprehensive guidance program.According to our consultant (Gysbers), guidance staff mustalso recognize the following basic assumptions that willform the foundation of the program:

A guidance program is developmental.A guidance program has a curriculum through whichall students acquire skills to handle developmentallyappropriate tasks.

This problem-solving "changeadventure" thatwe began was notwithout its upsand downs,frustrations andexhilarations.

...adoption ofprogram structureis merely a firststep inestablishing acomprehensiveguidance program


The counselingstaff is notexpected to wait intheir offices forstudents to dropin. Afterall, theyhave a program toimplement!

A guidance program is an integral p: rt of the cverallK-12 educational program of the school.

In addition, a comprehensive developmental programleads to a guidance curriculum as well as structural groupexperiences for all students. Such a program deemphasizesadministrative and clerical tasks, one-to-one counseling andlimited accountability. The counseling staff is not expectedto wait in their offices for students to drop in. Afterall, theyhave a program to implement!

In the early 1980's the Board of Education in MCPSheard from the community that they were dissatisfied withguidance services. Counselors were generally seen as paper-pushers and schedule changers, but not as student advocates.The Board directed the superintendent of schools to ask ourDepartment of Educational Accountability to conduct astudy of guidance and counseling in Montgomery County.The report, A Study of the Guidance Program and ItsManagement in the Montgomery County Public Schools,made four recommendations, two of which are cited below:

1. Develop a coherent and comprehensive guidanceprogram that is similar to their subject-matterprograms. Provide guidelines for program monitor-ing and evaluation and resources for staff trainingand professional growth.

2. Develop a new management structure which givessupport for program development and servicedelivery as well as an effective mechanism forprogram monitoring.

The Board accepted DEA's Study and directed thesuperintendent to move ahead with the recommendations.At the same time (1985) the Maryland State Department ofEducation State By-law on Special Instructional Programswent into effect. Within the by-law "School GuidancePrograms" were defined and goals and subgoals outlined.The three basic assumptions referred to earlier were trans-lated into the three areas of program emphasis in MCPS.The subgoals became the student competencies or objectivesthat address the areas of emphases.

The program is developmental because the areas ofemphxs are the same for all students, K-12, though thecompetencies change depending on the students' grade level.


We hired Dr. Norman Gysbers, a counselor/educatorrenowned for his books and articles on guidance andcounseling, and solicited his services as our consultant. Weknew we had to start from ground zero to establish a visible,countywide program. The model that Dr. Gysbers intro-duced us to met the needs of our local system. We wantedour program tc be both competency and accountabilitybased, easily understood by both the community andeducators, designed for all students, and recognized byschool staff and community. A program "designed for allstudents" was of great importance to us as counselorsbecause of complaints we had received that some studentswere not being adequately served by counselors. We werecommitted to addressing three of the Board's overall goalsor priorities: (1) high academic achievement for all students,(2) specific emphasis on the high academic achievement ofminority students, and (3) the development of independentlearners among our students. The Gysbers Model provided asound structure around which we could shape our ownComprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program.

Strategies for Adopting the ComprehensiveGuidance Model

The Department of Educational Accountability studyinvolved 17 of the 100 elementary schools, 11 of the 21junior high/intermediate/middle (J/I/M) schools and 10 ofthe 20 senior high schools. Information was sought fromprincipals, counselors, teachers, parents, and students tohelp answer the study questions. Data collection activitiesincluded a review of MCPS's policies and regulations andanal} is cf Caw obtained through counselor logs, counselorobser.,..tions, counselor questionnaires, student question-naires, teacher questionnaires, parent interviews, principalinterviews and surveys of guidance and counseling pro-grams in other school systems within Maryland.

After reviewing the Study, the Board of Educationprovided funding to implement this project. The GuidanceUnit moved to the Office of Instruction and ProgramDevelopment (OIPD) from the Deputy Superintendent'sOffice. This helped to define guidance and counseling as a

We wanted ourprogram tobe...easilyunderstood byboth thecommunity andeducators,designed for allstudents, andrecognized byschool staff andcommunity.

68 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT VV.IIC

vital part of MCPS's program lather than as an ancillaryservice.

Norm Gysbers explained the guidance and counselingmodel he was developing in Missouri to the supervisor ofguidance and the associate superintendent in OIPD. Bothleaders felt this model would lend itself very well to thecounty's needs. Top management staff were now committedto the project.

A meeting with Norm Gysbers and the Chairperson ofthe Board's Advisory Committee on Counseling andGuidance was arranged so that the community could beinvolved in the selection process. A steering committee ofcounselors, administrators, teachers and parents was formedto provide suggestions, criticisms, and ideas as the programevolved. The steering committee met with the consultant,who explained the Model and answered questions. Schoolstaff and the community became committed to the project.

Allowing Allowing counselors to design the program was an excellentcounselors to idea because they are able to better reflect the variety ofdesign the needs of the students, of the individual schools, and of theprogram was an different communities in a large school system. It also givesexcellent idea counselors the opportunity to design the materials they willbecause they are be using in their work and creates a sense of commitment toable to bettcr making the program work in the schools. Five counselorsreflect the variety were selected from each of the three levels, elementary,of needs of the WM and senior high. Counselors were selected on the basisstudents. of their writing ability and lea6ership skills.

The first of three writing workshops began in thesummer of 1985. The wruing teams met for two dayswith Norm Gysbers, who presented the ComprehensiveGuidance and Counseling Model with delivery methods,explained strategies for implementing a new program, anddescribed the kinds of materials counselors need to imple-ment the program. Norm Gysbers gave Montgomery Countythe map for a journey to create a competency based K-12guidance program. What vehicle would we use to start thistrip? What have others said about such as vehicle?

For two weeks 15 counselors and three central officeguidance staff members worked to plot out the journey onthe map they had been given. At the end of this period, theK-12 competencies were finalized, time management plansformed, a handbook of guidance activities to support the

7


competencies developed, and a five-year countywideimplementation plan put in place. (The new car purchasedfor the journey was ready for the trial run.) The MCPSComprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program(CGCP) was ready to venture into the unknown with gasand a map of how to get the new program going.

Plans were made for beginning the pip and schools wereselected to pilot the program. A budget for instructionalmaterials to support the CGCP was allocated ($300 perelementary wad $500 per secondary school). August trainingsessions were set up for administrators and counselors in thepilot schools and the Steering Committee invited. Thesuperintendent and deputy superintendent spoke to thegroup about the importance of the program :aid gave theirsupport to making the program work. The journey hadbegun.

Pilot schools began the CGCP by introducing it to theirentire staff at fall faculty meetings. The C:Innal GuidanceUnit went to schools to assist in the presentations or to helpthe school guidance staff plan their presentation. TheCGCP was printed in draft form and transparencies weredeveloped to present the CGCP countywide to all coun-selors, building administrators, supervisory staffs at area orregional levels, Central Office staff, and parents. The firstmile of the journey was quickly covered.

A flat tire occurred in November when we realized thatwe had not allocated enough training time for cotmselors asthey initiated the program. Counselor resistance to change,and the perception of the program as an "add-on" wensurfacing as problems. We patched the flat tire by having thecounselors in the pilot schools meet four times during theyear to discuss what wat: and was not working. This trainingwas planned and conductee by the Central Guidance Unit.Courselors were involved in deciding what roads would beselected for the trip. Furthermore, the Central Guidance Unitbegan working with school guidance staffs to dispel the"add-on" mind-set counselors had, and to present themeaning of all this change. We had to sell the program aswell to principals, instructional supervisors, and counselors.

Toward the end of the year our new car developed aknock in the engine and was sent to the shop for a tune-up.Counselors articulated several major problems: gaining

Counselorresistance tochange, and theperception of theprograr. as an"add-on" w.resurfacing asproblems.

...the CentralGuidance Unitbegan workingwith schoolguidance staffs todispel the "add-on" mind-setcounselors had....


access to students for the program, lack of materials forguidance instruction, time demands on counselors for non-counseling duties, and budget for additional staff andmaterials. To deal with these issues eight strategies weredevised:

1. Counselors became part of their school's instruc-tional leadership team to help others understand theimportance of the program and the necessity ofhaving access to the students.

2. Guidance competencies were matched with aca-demic competencies so that counselors and teacherswere working together to deliver the guidanceprogram.

3. Clerical support was provided for peak work time inthe schools' guidance offices.

4. Twelve month guidance secretaries were budgetedfor senior and mid-level schools.

5. Writing workshops were planned for two additionalsummers to ref-me and develop the materials in theguidance progra: n.

6. Stipend training was provided for counselors as apart of program implementation and regular profes-sional development.

7. State grant proposals were written to support theprogram with training.

8. Lending libraries for sharing cotAiseling materialswere developed in the county.

The new car was back on the road. It has a fey scratchesand a minor dent but the journey continues with higheroctane fuel.

Support of Central Guidance UnitKey to Program Success

The Central Guidance Unit's part in this whole processcontinues to be key. We solicited and then recommendedschools for piloting, ..lbsequent to that first year. Since theneed for pre-trainint, before implementation becameobvious to us, we designed and conducted inservice sessionswith counselors and principals in the spring preceding theirimplementation year. The benefit of this training was

80


immeasurable. Counselors and principals already in theprogram shared their feelings, reactions, and opinions aboutthe CGCP to those about to enter.

The Central Guidance Unit held regular meetings withthe new schools to give them an opportunity to share theirsetbacks and successes. This sharing proved productive,both as a resource for counselors and as a sounding boardfor them.

As part of our effort to convince the administrators andexecutive staff members that our mode! was the "way totravel," N ie met with each administrative area (region)within the county. The terrain here was quite bumpy indeed,but the model held up tinder repeated stress tests. A majorquestion from each principal was "How is this programgoing to benefit my school?" We then provided short- andlong-term advantages of the program. Most of the disadvan-tages were associated with change.

The Central Guidance Office must keep their hands onthe wheel if they are to continue to control the direction ofthe program. We have come to understand the necessity ofstaying in touch with the operation of the program in theschool through formal and informal visits and communi-cations.

Program Evaluation and Next Steps

How successful has the program been to date? Sooner orlater every car owner agonizes over whether to "maintain ormodernize." The decision must be made to keep, junk, trade,or buy a new car. Only a cost/benefit analysis can helpresolm this dilemma. Simply stated: "Does the immediateexpense ,-ir cost produce the desired results or benefits?"

The two prongs of the dilemma are as follows:If your old gray station wagon meets your transportation

needs, then modernizing may be unnecessary P^ I evenextravagant, BUT if a new car provides greater reliabilityand service, then the investment can be justified and must bemade.

To be a bit more specific, keeping the old wagon avoidsthe burdensome monthly car payments. But the cost ofmaintenance CPA soon deplete any short-term savings. As

...the model heldup under repeatedstress tests.

We have come tounderstand thenecessity ofstaying in touchwith the operationof the program inthe scheJl....


Older counselorsnear retirementhad a built -in biasfor the tried andtrue of the "oldtime" servicedelivery model.

the mechanic in the oil filter commercial gleefully, butappropriately, announces: "Pay me now, or pay me later!"Do we maintain or invest?

Cost/Benefit Analysis

Does a cost/benefit analysis work in school guidanceprogram planning and development? This section describesthe pros and cons of changing an old Guidance ServiceModel into a Comprehensive Guidance and CounselingProgram (CGCP), a marvelous "transformation for thefuture of guidance!"

A cost/benefit analysis for establishing the CGCPrevealed two main areas of concern: The "bad news" ofProblems Encountered, and The "good news" ofAchievement Realized A careful review of both will helpM. tcrmine the CGCP's success. First, the problemsencountered:

Reluctance to Change. Principals were used to aguidance service model tl'at focused on student scheduling.Older counselors ncar retirement had a built-in bias for thetried and true of the "old time" service delivery model.Since many of these educators steadfastly denied that theold guidance services were "broken," they flatly refused toeven consider listening to the "fixing organizers" of theCGCP.

Double Duty. Despite the cc -wincing logic demon-strating the need for a new and improved organizedguidance program, counselors were paralyzed by theadministrators' conflicting message: "Okay, establish thenew program, but continue to maintain your present list ofduty assignments." Schools failed to "streamline" and"displace" nonguidance functions to other paraprofessionals-Jr clerical staff. "Add-ons" continually threatened theprogram's successful implementation.

Time and Stress Management. As the message ofchange worked its way through the system's tightly con-nected communications grapevine, and news came out thatthe new program demanded a greater time commitment andcontributed to more job stress, the pilot expansion schoolsbecame more and more skeptical and resistant. The senti-ment was: "Why trade for a new model when the old oneworks fine ?"

8'4

Comprehensive Guido, 7e in Montgomery County, Maryland 73

Killer Statement. If given the chance to solidify,resistance to change blocked the road to innovation. State-ments such as: "Ain't it awful!" "If only. . . ." "We've triedthat!" "Yes, but.. . ." "THEM vs US" "Let's wait until.. . ."had a debilitating effect on the will and energy to change.

Advanced Planning. Failure to build in planning timefor the entire school guidance department to develop a timemanagement plan seriously hampered the delivery of theprogram's competencies. Furthermore, without the lead timeto provide in-service training for school faculties, coun-selors missed numerous opportunities to build cooperationand school program support.

Budget Commitments. Limited or nonexistent schoolguidance budgets prevented purchase or development ofguidance materials specifically designed to deliver theprogram objectives.

"Because of a nail, the tire was lost . . .at least in thebeginning ..; the journey." Gloom and Doom had its day.But, the site and local boards of education had mandatedchanges in the, delivery of guidance services and long itourshad been given to develop a new product. We clearly cto see that, in spite of the negatives, the guidance program inMCPS will never be the same again. Consider the followingachievements that were realized:

1. The development of an organized, developmental K-12 guidance program provided school counselorswith both a rationale and framework to deliver thegi sidance competencies to all students.Tne State mandated, Board of Education approved,Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Programcnsured counselors greater access to students. Theclassroom guidance activities also increased coun-selor visibility with students and teachers. As adirect result, the number of student self-referralsincreased. It soon became more difficult for studentsto slip through the cracks f the guidance andcounseling program.

3. Teachers and administrators became mot,' aware ofthe CGCP and reinforced the student guidanceoi;jectives in the school's overall Program ofStudie s. Teacher-counselor cooperation ,ncreasedand school morale improved.

S3111111MW101101

Failure to build inplanning time forthe entire schoolguidancedepartment todevelop a timemanagement planseriouslyhampered thedelivery of theprogram'scompetencies.

It soon becamemore difficult forstudents to slipthrough thecracks of theguidance andcounselingprogram.


Elementarycounselors feltless Illenated andmore in tune withthe program'sobjectives.

4. The developmental scope and sequence of thestudent cot petencies helped all counselors appre-ciate the breadth and depth of the other grade levelsettings.

5. The expan ;ion of the CGCP provided newly hiredcounselors th a time management plan, materials,and resources to deliver student competencies in anorganized and systematic manner. Elementary coun-selors felt less alienated and more in tune with theprogram's objectives. Those schools with a highstudent mobility rate felt better equipped to orientand assimilate transferring siodents.

6 Principals and lit ..trians began budgeting funds tosupport the need for guidance materials necessary todeliver the competencies to all students. In addition,the Board of Education allocated more funds tosupport counselor demands for in-service trainingand professional growth.

The initial "Good News" of the CGCP was that it didmake a difference! In pilot schools, students did receiveguidance services in an organized and systematic fashion.But what about the future? What changes must take place tokeep the program current and effective?

What Plans and Goals Do We Contemplatefor the Future?

With any new program implementation, there comes a timeto pause and evaluate the progress made and consider thenext steps ahead. Listed below are four tasks that needattention in order to maintain and improve the CGCP.

1. Edit and publish the counselors' handbook of groupguidance activities. Three successive summer cur-riculum workshops have produced useful classroomguidance units, but the shortage of time andpersonnel has prevented final publication.

7 Determine the instrumentation and methods forevaluating the CCCP implementation at all levels.White a "Time on Task Analysis" has beendeveloped and distributed to all counselors, the

S4


results have not been compiled or analyzed forfuture adaptation. In addition, survey the adminis-trators, teachers, students, and parents for theirconcerns, comments, and suggestions.

3. Fild the time, money, and expertise to carry out acomprehensive in-service training to increase thecompetence of counselors and their commitment tothe CGCP.

4. Present continued progress reports on the implemen-tation of the CGCP to the Board of Education. Also,request DEA to conduct a system-wide evaluationstudy and present a final report to the Board ofEducation within the next few years.

The future goals for the complete implementation of theCGCP will require careful attention and coordinated efforts.The initial progress has been so rewarding that the future ofthe program is promising and we remain optimistic. Weoffer now some words of encouragement for those coun-selors thinking about initiating a comprehensive guidanceand counseling program.

What Advice Do We Offer to NewImp; :menters?

Change for Change's sake is not the reason for discarding anoutdated model. Whether it is revising an old program ofcreating a new one, the will and &termination to convinceguidance staffs that they must change requires leadership,imagination, and risk. There are no guaranteed solutions, butin the end, the effort or the journey is often its own rewani.Advice from outsiders about how to implement pregramchange should always be taken with a grain of salt.However, here are some points to consider before leapingfeet-first into program change. From the very begin-ing ofthe new program development:

Decide that change is necessary. Then, examinepresent guidance services and decide what goes andwhat stays. Consider reorganizing existing servicesinto a comprehensive, developmental K-12 modelthat aims to deliver services in an organized fashionto all students.

...survey theadministrators,teachers, students,and parents fortheir concerns,comments, andsuggestions.

Decide thatchange isnecessary. Then,examine presentguidance servicesand decide whatgoes and whatstays.


Meet with state representatives, the local board ofeducation, school superintendent, administrators,subject supervisors, and school parent-communitygroups to explain the need for and design of theproposed guidance program change. Listen empa-thetically to frustrations and the "Yes, but...." resis-tance of professional educators, but be persistent.

Work with Work with committed and motivated K-12 coun-committed and selors to develop a scope and sequence for anmotivated K-12 organized guidance program. Enlist these counselorscounselors to to be on a writing team for the counselors' resourcedevelop a scope manual.and sequence.... Identify the student competencies that the guidance

program delivers. The fewer competencies chosen,the better chance for successful delivery.Collaborate with other instructional personnel(supervisors, principals, resource teachers, and otherfaculty) to determine who owns delivery of thestudent guidance objectives.Work out a management plan that delineates thetimeline for program implementation, e.g., based ona seven-hour workday, counselors on a 180-dayschool year contract have 1,260 work hours todevote to program implementation. Divide thesehours amcag the components of the program that fityour school's priorities.Establish a budget with money committed to financeprogram change.

Hire a consultant Hire a consultant to assist in developing a workingto assist in model of a comprehensive guidance and counselingdeveloping a program.working model.... Finally, just do it!

The catalysts for change came from many directions. Aquick summary of these change agents reveals again theirsources.

In September, 1983, the Board of Educationreaffirmed the systems' Goals of Education, andchose to emphasize certain priorities for the imme-diate future. Priority 2 emphasized programs thatresult in substantial gains in minority performanceand participation. Guidance services were reviewed.


In October of 1983, the Board of Education of theMontgomery County Public Schools requested itsDepartment of Educational Accountability (DEA) tocoi:duct an evaluation of the systems guidanceprogram. The results were published in January of1985. The Board accepted a five-year plan foraddressing the recommendations in the DEA study.In July of 1985, the State Board of Education passeda Pupil Services By-Law that requires each localeducational agency (LEA) to provide a coordinated,competency-based guidance program for allstudents, K-12.Parents were voicing concerns about the lack of con-sistent guidance and counseling services available totheir children.Since our Board's action, the National School BoardAssociation encouraged local school boards tosupport comprehensive guidance and counselingprograms, K-12, staffed by professionally trainedcounseling personnel (April, 1986). We see this asstrong support for our movement to change.

« A major recommendation of thc... College Board'sreport, Keeping The Options Open, encouragesschools to develop a comprehensive guidanceprogram that both monitors and promotes studentpotential. In response to a Board member's questionabout the new program, the supervisor of guidancewiz: able to comment on the College Board's reportand provide testimony that the system's guidanceaial counseling program was heading in a verypositiva direction.Counselors were ready to participate in somethingrevitalizing and challenging,

Summary

Clearly our tasks are not complete. We have one additionalcluster of schools (a high school and its feeder schools)which will begin progn. m implementation in 1989-90.Though many aspects of the new program are nowbeing performed by counselors in these schools, formal

Parents werevoicing concernsabout the lack ofconsistentguidance andcounseling

Counselors wereready toparticipate insomethingrevitalizing andchallenging.


implementation with funding has nut occurred. Next schoolyear all of our 21 clusters wil. be participating in theComprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program(CGCP). It must also be noted that although a school maybe a part of the CGCP, this does not mean that the schoolhas fully implemented the program. We informed schoolsthat the program by design was flexible enough to meet theindividual needs of each of our 160+ schools. Yet, theCGCP was well crafted enough to provide the structure fora sound guidance and counseling program for all students.

Just as there is no automatic pilot control for our 20thcentury cars, there is no such control for the operation of

The program is guidance and counseling in our county. The program is stillstill young and in young and in need of nurturing and protection until it is ableneed of nurtt 1g to exist with more ease. We need to keep our eyes on theand protection road and beware of dangerous pot' les and costly, time-until it is able to consuming detours. Our goals must remain clear: To provideexist with more a guidance and counseling program to students thatease. promotes academic achievement, career and educational

decision making, and personal and social development. Wesuppose it is possible that our goals would have been asdefined, and the student outcomes as appropriate, had wenot had the Gysbers Model. II at what we are sure of, is thatthe Montgomery County Public Schools ComprehensiveGuidance and Counseling Program, based on this Model,offers the flexibility as well as the structure to meet theneeds of our large and diverse student body, community andstaff.

Chapter 5

Tiu Comprehensive GuidanceProgram in San Antonio

Patricia Henderson

The Northside Independent School District in SanAntonio, Texas is a large urban/suburt.n districtcovering 355 square miles and serving 50,114students. Several years ago they embarked on anextensive revamping of their guidance program.Northside is now in the fourth year of itsimplementation of the Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Model.

Introduction

Several years ago, administrators and counselors inNorthside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas,decided to improve their guidance program. Districtadministrators wanted more consistency in the counselingprogram across the district; they recognized that a lot ofgood things wett happening in the various schools, but notall the good tt ;ngs were going on in all of the schools.Administrators were dissatisfied with the counselingprogram because they believed that many students were notreceiving enough of the counselors' services, and coun-selors, in turn, felt they were not making the best use oftheir expertise. The district embarked on an extensive effortto revamp its guidance program. The program vas

F 9

ikii:ii............6.----

111111MMIMINS

...a lot of goodthings werehappening in thevarious schools....

79

8G COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

...support fromthe top gaveneeded permiselonto the staff tostudy theguidance programand to makerecommendationsfor improving it.

Many studentswho wereacademicallyunsuccessful werenot beingcounseled.

redesigned over the course of two-and-a-half years and atthe time of writing this chapter, Northside is in the third yearof its implementation of the Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Model.

Initially, the district administrative leadership expressedsupport for the comprehensive and development41 programmodels to the guidance program director, building levelprincipals, and counselors. This support from the top gaveneeded permission to the staff to study the guidance p:o-gram and to make recommendations for improving it.Northside's adoption of the comprehensive program modelis fully described in Developing and Managing YourSchool Guidance Program (Gysbers & Henderson, 1988).The emphasis here will be on the processes used in theadoption and adaptation of the Model, the successes seen-to-date, some ideas for the future and, finally, advice for thosebeginning the process.

Attractiveness of the Model

The Comprehensive Model provided a meaningful way toreconceptualize th, guidance program. Some of whatcounselors were doing was of vital imt lance to students;some was necessary to the successful running of a school.However, there were complaints that not all students bcne-fitted from the counselors' services. For example, highschool counselors were perceived as spending more timehelping all ninth graders get off to a good start. Manystudents who were academically unsuccessful were notbeing counseled. There were some criticisms that the coun-selors were doing inappropriate tasks. Counselors had toomuch paperwork to do; for high school counselors, muchtime was spent in doing "credit checks"; for middle schoolcounselors, much time was spent registering new studentsand responding to the high schools' demands on them forpreregistration of eighth graders. Thus, in the eyes of districtadministrators, the model was attractive because it provideda vision that allowed for keeping the best of the traditionalrogram, and for adding new elements and eliminating

others to form a "new" program. Valued tasks done bycounselors were described in the "Responsive Services" and

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in San Antonio

the "Individual Planning System" components of theModel. At Northside, the "Guidance Curriculum"component was valued highly, but needed enhancement atthe elementary level and to be added at the secondary level."System Support" as a component provided focus to thosenon-guidance and counseling tasks that needed to beeliminated.

The traditional program had evolved in response tostudent and system needs. Historically, school counselorshave been most valued for the help they provide to studentswith problems. Counselors are unique on the school staffbecause of their expertise at working with individual andsmall groups of students who have emotional problems thatinterfere with academic progress. They are clearly theprofessionals to turn to when a teacher must refer studentsto special programs or services. Additionally, they have theskills and knowledge to consult with parents and teachersexperiencing difficulty with students. The inclusion of theResponsive Services component in the Model gives this setof services a visible place in the guidance program.

School counselors have also been valued for theirguidance to students as they and their parents makeeducational and career decisions. In the opinion of theNorthside staff, this role had become nearly all-consumingfor the middle and high school counselors. Preregistration,registration and testing absorbed a great deal of counselors'time. On the other hand, it was recognized that helpingstudents and their parents to select their courses andunderstand their test esults is important. The IndividualPlanning System component provides for this traditionalcounselor role and at the same time re-emphasizes the needfor counselor's responsibilities to focus on studet ts.

In the Northside Independent School District there wasno doubt that counselors should continue in these roles.Counselors will always be needed to guide and to counselstudents. The decision-makers and counselors could see thatthese current job tasks would fit into the "new" program; ther.._w program would not be totally new. What the model didwas to describe these current job tasks as components withinthe comprehensive program, giving them legitimacy whileat the same time leaving space for new ideas and job tasks.

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81

Counselors areunique on theschool staffbecause of theirexpertise atworking withindividual andsmall groups ofstudents who haveemotionalproblems thatinterfere withacademicprogress.


...students can betaught tounderstandthemselves, makewise chokes andcommunicate wellIII a develop-mentallyappropriatesequence.

The district wanted the guidance program to be designedto provide counselors' services for all students. Districtleaders wanted a developmental program, one whichattended to the needs of all students in a proactive andorganized fashion. The Guidance Curriculum componentprovides a developmental program. The Model suggestedthat the content of the guidance program be identified aswell as the skills and knowledge that counselors will beresponsible for helping students learn. The curriculum isbased on the same premise as that of other disciplines:students can be taught to understand themselves, make wisechoices and communicate well in a developmentally appro-priate sequence. The Model also suggested that the curri-culum could be outlined in proper sequence for studer'.sK-12 and taught by counselors of all levels. 'ome guidancecurriculum was taught by the Northside eleme'.tarycounselors, but it was not a part of the secondary levelguidance program.

Finally, th.. Comprehensive Program Model p:ovidedrationale for eliminating the worst of the in-place ,togram:the inappropriate job tasks that had come to seem likeessential parts of the guidance program. "System support,"as defined by Gysbers and Moore (1981), described thesupport needed from the school system for a comprehensiveguidance program to work, e.g., counselor staff develop-ment and public relations. At Northside, the district'sleadership included in its definition of the System Supportcomponent, those efforts which the guidance departmentundertook in support of the system, e.g., the system-focusedparts o. )reregistration, registration and testing. Byincluding these tasks in the comprehensive programconcept, they became targets for "displacement," anotherattractive concept in the Gysbers Model (Gysbers &Henderson, 1988).

Strategy Used in Gaining Adoptionof the Model

A steering committee, made up of administrators and coun-selors from across the district, was formed for the purposeof developing a basic structure within which a districtwile

92


guidance program could operate. The Direc:or of Guidancechaired the Guidance Steering Committee, an appropriaterole for the district administrator with guidance expertise.The other district-level administrators with an investmentboth programmatic and fiscalin the guidance programwere included, both as representatives of others who usedthe counselors' services and as resource providers. AtNorthside these were the Deputy Superintendent, AssociateSuperintendent for !.-tstruction, and the Directors ofElementary, Secondary, Special, and Vocational Education.The campuses were represented by a middle, a high, andtwo elementary school principals. There were seven coun-selors on the committee: two from each level and a voca-tional counselor. Their charge was to study the currentguidance program and to make recommendations for itsimprovement.

As a prerequisite to their work, the committee memberswere educated about the national status of guidance in theschools (Herr, 1979), and about the ComprehensiveGuidance Program Model described by Gysbers and Moore(1981). National trends highlighted included: eis;velopmentalguidance programs at all levels (not just the elementarylevel), fuller career development assistance, the re-professionalization of the school counselor (particularly thehigh school counselor), and systematic planning forguidance programs. The committee discussed the recom-mendations suggested by Herr (1979) for improving thefuture of school guidance programs and services. Theyadopted the Comprehensive Guidance Program Model asthe ideal because of its developmental focus, commitmenttoservices for all students, and description of four componentswhich made sense in terms of the reality and the promise ofguidance and counseling. Northside believed that theComprehensive Guidance Program Model provided hopefor maximum use of counselors' skills.

The entire first meeting (and some portion of the nextthree meetings) was spent in bringing the members togetherin their vision of what an excellent guidance program shouldbe. This approach served us well and provided a foundationas we proceeded through the three-year process of remodel-ing our program. The other tasks we accomplished at thistime were the writing of the structural components: The

83

Northside believedthat the Compre-hensive GuidanceProgram Modelprovided hope formaximum use ofcounselors' skills.


The overallprogramdevelopmentprocess....allowedus to changeslowly, whichworked well forthe counselors,but was a bittrying for theadministrators.

Rationale, Assumptions and Defir.ition of the emerging newNorthside Comprehensive Guidanc.. Program (Gysbers &Henderson, 1988).

The overall program development process included themaix phases of Planning, Designing, Implementation, andEvaluation. This process allowed us to change slowly,which worked well for the counselors, but was a bit tryingfor the administrators. Counselors had time to grasp thevision, since they learned about the Model less directly thandid members of the steering tommittee. We relied a lot onthe leadership of the counselors who were members of thecommittee. The gradual process also allowed counselorstime to cope with the impending changes, and identify someways they specifically wanted to change. Administrators aroaction-oriented problem-solvers, by and large. They .:..ntedthe envisioned changes to happen now; fortunately, theadministrators on the steering committee communicated totheir fellow administrators the rationale for making changesslowly.

In adopting and adapting the model (the "designing"phase of the process), we analyzed the discrepanciesbetween the current guidance program and the guidanceprogram desired by the district. In the planning phase, weassessed our current program and quantified its design interms of the amount of time counselors spent on each of theprogram cninponents, and the percentages of time spentwith the va:ious clients sen,x1 by the counselors. In thedesigning phase, we establisaed priorities for counselors'expenditure of time. The current program data were thencontrasted with the data for the desired program design.Table 1 displays the clients-served data for the current andthe desired program designs. Obvious discrepanciesbetween who counselors were serving and to what degree,and who they should be serving and to what degreeprovided data upon which to base recommendations. Forexample, at the high school level counselors were spending45.5 percent of their time providing developmental guidanceto students; this contrasts with the 30 percent that wasdesired. Further study helped us to understand that most ofthis guidance was provided to individual students. Thus, arecommendation followed that suggested that high schoolcounselors should provide developmental guidance in

.co 4

..brwearralimmolomormworrrn11111111

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in San Antonio 85

Table 1Northside Independent School District

Percent of Counselors' lime Spent With Clientsin the Current Guidance Program (1983)and That in the Desired ilrogram (1986)

HighSchool

MiddleSchool

ElementarySchoolit.jr.t jrL.

StudentDevelopmental 45.5 30 28.3 30 40.3 40Preventive 10.8 15 17.8 15 12.8 15Remedial 7.6 15 7.7 12 4.4 10

AdultDistrict Admin. 3.2 5 8.2 5 5.7 5

Schuol .;taff 23.8 15 24.2 18 28.3 15Parents 8.4 10 10.1 15 7.0 12Community Reps 3.1 10 3.3 5 3.0 3

*C " current program"D = desired r gram

groups with the end result being less time spent in thismodeand, the corollary, with more students being guided!

At all three levels, students with remedial guidanceneeds were being underserved: at the high school level,7.6 percent of the counselors' time was spent with theseclients, contrasted with the 15 percent desired, at the middleschool level, 7.7 percent of the counselors' tame was spentwith these clients, contrasted with Lae I? percent desired; atthe element/try level, the percentages were: 4.4 versus 10. Adistuctwide recommendation was made to zpend more timehelping the students who had already faced SOIIIC problemsituations or who had already made some unwise choicesand needed remedial attention.

We also learned that counselors spent more time withschool staff than was recommended: at the high school,23.8 percent of their time versus the desired 15 percent; atthe middle school, 24.2 percent versus the desired 18 per-cent; at the elementary level, 28.3 percent versus 15 percent.Ir analyzing this data one counselor remarked, "I listen to a

RJ

86 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS TH. WORK

Spending moredme on parenteducation as wellas consultationswith povntsbecame goals.

teacher complain about a student for a whole period, and Ihave about 10 minutes to work with the kid!" We alsolearned that counselors were under-serving parents. Spend-ing !nore time on parent education as well as consultationswith parents became goals. The discrepancy identificationprocess allowed us to recommend changes we were surewere "right."

Beyond the natural resistance to cha..ge, the mainobstacles we have confronted have been due to lack of!raining or education. Initially, everyone needed to learn

The coutzelors about the Model itself. The counselors 0-d principals neededand principals to have a vision of what could be, befog. .ney could displaceneeded to have a inappropriate tasks with appropriate ones. Once they beganvision of what to do this, teachers and parents had to become educatedcould be, before about what was going on so they could adjust to the changedthey could role of the counselors.displace Some of the counselors' resistance to the model wasinappropriate based on concerns about the need to acquire new skillstasks with and/or update old skills. Inservice training has beenappropriate ones. provided for counselors in such skill areas as modern

instructional technology, group counseling, and consultationwith parents slid teachers. Texas' licensure law includescontinuing education requirements for rt,newal. This hasworked to the =hoot districts' advantage because coun-selors are continually seeking professional developmentopportunities.

Counselors were involved in the adoption of the Modelin various ways. The seven counselors from the SteeringCommittee were most fully involved in the adoptionprocess. They partici,lated in the committee's debates, andthey taught the other counselors about the Program Modeland guided their work on the working committees.

...an expended As the project neared the implementation phase, angroup of expanded group of counselor leadersthe GuidanceeorittiOr Leadership Lamwas formed. This group is compris..d ofleadersthe four counselors from each school level (elementary, middleGuidance and high school). A counselor from each school level wasLeadership assigned to each component of the program model. EachTeamwas counselor, thus, became the expert for one of the com-formed. pcnents for his/her level. The first task of the Guidance

Leadership Team was to amass the existing exemplary prac-tices that fit into the comprehensive program components.To accomplish this, they educated their peers about the


components and helped them to identify their current exem-plary practices.

The curriculum experts collected exemplary guidancelessons and units from their colleagues. The individualplanning group collected and blended the best ideas fromtheir colleagues regarding test results interpretation, orienta-tion, preregistration and career and vocational planning. Theresponsive services team collected the practices currentlyused by counselors in individual and small group counselingand consultation and referral and grouped them according tothe priority topics identified by the steering committee. Thesystem support subgroup identified the tasks done bycounselors in support of other programs within the system,and they developed some recommendations regarding thesupport the guidance program needs from the system. Asthey gathered the specific examples, the GuidanceLeadership Team members were able to provide operationaldefinitions of the components of the ComprehensiveGuidance Program Model. The practices were thenpublished in resource guides for all to use.

The formal organizational structure of the guidancedepartment includes head counselors at the middle and highschools. The elementary level is led by four "lead" coun-selors. These head and lead counselors provided input to thesteering committee on topics of importance to their schools.They also led the other counselors in their schools in areview of the written Northside Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Framework (Northside, 1986) via a "DiscussionGuide" that was used districtwide. Finally, nearly allcounselors were involved in the various "work groups"(Gysbers & Henderson, 1988) formed to assess the status ofthe current program and to brainstorm ways the neededchanges could be brought about.

The Model is appreciated by counselors at Northsidebecause it allows them tl serve all students develop-mentally. The program is well-planned and organized. Theimage of Northside's counselors has improved. They areperceived by themselves and others as professionals with aspecial contribution to make to students' growth anddevelopment. Inappropriate ("quasi-administrative" and"pseudo-therapeutic") tasks are being eliminated from theirworking day.

87

The Model isappreciated bycounselors atNorthside becauseit allows them toserve all studentsdevelopmentally.


The steeringcommittee...arrived atconsensus abouthow counselors'time should beallocated to eachcomponent of theprogram to insurea proper balance.

How the Program Functions in Our District

At the district level, the basic structure of the program wasestablished by the steering committee and published in theFramework (Northside, 1986). The process for establishingthe basic structure called for the steering committee to workfor consensus and to make hard decisions about the designof the desired program. The steering committee also wres-tled with and arrived at consensus about how counselors'time should be allocated to each component of the programto insure a proper balance. This design is displayed in Table2 and is dramatically different from the design of the oldprogram. The actual balance of our program in 1988-89 stilldoes not reflect the desires of the steering committee, but wecontinue to envision that as our goal. This statement ofpriorities for the use of counselors' time and talent has beenextremely important in the success of our 'hange efforts.

Table 2Desired Percentages for Allocation of

Counselors' Time by Component

Elementary Middle High

Guidance Curriculum 40 30 25

Individual Planning 25 30 30

Responsive Services 25 25 30

System Support 10 15 15

In addition, each component was considered separately.The topics to be addressed in each component were listedand priorities within each component established. Thepriorities for the Guidance Curriculum and the ResponsiveServices components were agreed to fairly readily. Thosefor the Individual Planning System involved more debate.Recommendations for ways to streamline the counselors'involvement in support of the overall educational system,and for ways to enhance the support given to the guidanceprogram by the system, were made.

5 8


Guidance Curriculum

The content of Northside's Guidance Curriculum com-ponent is derived from the basic skills identified in theProgram Definition. Consensus as to what was most impor-tant at each school level was not difficult to arrive at. Forexample, helping students to "understand and respectthemselves" and "understand and respect others" were ofutmost importance for all students, but were perceived to beof primary importance at the elementary level. "Makingwise decisions" and "solving problems" were priorities forthe middle school level.

A plethora of changes have been made in implemeningthe new program. Some of these changes are major, someare more subtle. Examples of major changes in the imple-mentation of the guidance curriculum include the timespent, the instructional methodology used, and thespecification of the curriculum. Before the installation of theComprehensive Guidance Program, counselors records werenot kept according to the components, so comparath . datais not available. But Northside counselors will tell you thatthey teach more guidance lessons than they did before. Onthe al, .;rage an elementary school student receives 28guidance lessons taught by the counselor, the middle andhigh school student averages nine counselor-taught lessonsin a year.

In addition to spending more time in classroomguidance, counselors have renewed their teaching skills.This effort has encouraged counselors to do more teachingthan telling and has helped them be more consistent whenplanning their lessons and units. At the seceadary level weencourage teachers to teach the guidance curriculum, withthe help of the counselors who act as consultants to them. Inthe middle schools, "Skills for Adolescence" (Quest, 1985)has been incorporated into the program as a teaching assign-ment. At the high school level, the Career CenterTechnicians assist by teaching students how to useinformation and med.a resources as they explore their careerdevelopment.

Another major change in implementation of theguidance curriculum has been the publication of the "scopeand sequence." This not only ensures more consistency ofcontent across the district, it has helped counselors to make

r 0.

89

A plethora ofchanges havebeen made inimplementing thenew program.Some of thesechanges aremajor, some aremore subtle.

In addition tospending moretime in classroomguidance,counselors haverenewed theirteaching skills.


Counselorsprepare for andconduct moresmall groupsbecause they arecognizant of whatproblems toanticipate andwhat the systemviews asimportant.

better use of their program materials budget money byclarifying what topics they need to emphasize more. It hasalso facilitated the inLion of guidance into other curricula,such as social studies and health, and provided the baselinefor relating guidance curriculum to Texas' statewidecurriculum (1988). More subtle changes are seen inindividual counselors' efforts to organize their materials andfiles according to the content identified as appropriate foreach grade level.

Responsive Services

The priorities for how counselors are to respond to studentswith problems were also established without conflict.Counselors in our district are part of the educational team,thus their attention needs to be focused on helping studentswhose problems are interfering with their r cademic success.The problems identified as recurring and their priority forcounseling/consultation/referral services are: (1) academicfailure; (2) child abuse; (3) divorce; (4) grief, death or otherloss; (5) suicide threats; (6) sexuality issues; (7) schoolattendance problems; (8) behavior problems; (9) peerproblems; (10) substance abuse problems; and (11) otherfamily issues which distract the student.

With the clarification of recurrent problem topicspresented by students to counselors, delivery of theResponsive Services has become more systematic also.Counselors prepare for and conduct more small groupsbecause they are cognizant of what problems to anticipateand what the system views as important. A major addition toour high school program has been the provision of smallgroup counseling to ninth graders who are failing more thanone subject at the end of the first or second grading periods(an ounce of prevention!). In addition, our approach toindividual counseling has become more systematic. At theelementary level, counselors paricipate in stuffings with allof the teachers in a grade level to identify those childrenwho are having difficulties and for determining the mostappt apriate means of helping them.

Counselors know that the system values their schoolcounseling training and expertise, and that they are notexpected to provide therapy. Counselors continue to

100


improve their knowledge of referral sources and theirreferral skills. The district has written administrativeprocedures for "Helping Students Manage Personal Crises."Again, this clarifies the expectations for the counselors'roles and helps them feel on firm ground as they make someof the more difficult professional judgmentsincluding, inthis instance, determining when to inform parents that theirchild has a problem.

Recognizing that parents were being underserred in taeguidance program, counselors have tried new ideas with thegoal of enhancing the level of participation by parents andincreasing their satisfaction with our efforts. Once a semes-ter, Parent Education Workshops are offered on our middleschool campuses. The middle schools have been used as a"middle ground" in the definition of community service.High school communities seem tc be too large to inspirecommunity commitment from the parents who typicallyneed (or want) parenting skills training. The elementarycampuses describe smaller communities (N = 31) and taxthe resources of the guidance department: too few parentsattend for the numbers of counselors involved. A district-wide Parent Consultation Center is in its second year. Itprovides consultation and school-problem related familycounseling for the parents of the district. Again, thisrepresents a creative approach to offering needed serviceswithout deploying all of the counselors. A staff comprir iof some of the district's counselors as well as somepracticum students from the University of Texas at SanAntonio provide "brief family interventions" (Golden, 1983)to families referred by counselors district-wide.

Finally, counselors in our varied communities are tryingdifferent vehicles for serving parents. Counselors aresponsoring "Koffee Klatches" where parents come to schoolfor various reasons and spend time talking about"parenting" with the school courstior. Another creativemodel includes training parents to be the support groupleaders for the parenting issues discussions.

Individual Planning System

This component includes activities typical of many schools:orientation, preregistration, registration, interpretation of

91

...counselors havetried new ideaswith the goal ofenhancing thelevel ofparticipation byparents andincreasing theirsatisfaction withour efforts.


At the high schoollevel, the priorityfor counselors isto help ninthgraders enter highschoolsuccessfully andto make optimumuse of their highschooleducationalopportu..ities.

standardized test results and educational, career andvocational planning. The priorities for the T -4ividualPlanning System were more difficult for the committee toformulate and agree on. The debate on these topics coveredtwo months of meetings. Two key decisions were made:(1) that individual planning activities, because they are forall students, must be conducted for groups of students;(2) that guidance by counselors is most needed for studentsin the transition grades (fifth-sixth, eighth-ninth). At thehigh school level, the priority for counselors is to help ninthgraders enter high school successfully and to make optimumuse of their high school educational opportunities. A paralleldecision that accompanied this shift in priorities was thatplanning and decision-making about college is the primaryresponsibility of the students and their parents. Thesedecisions caused a dramatic shift in the focus of the highschool guidance program, from individual conferencesconducted with twelfth grade students and their parents togroup guidance offerings which help freshmen to start highschool on a better footing. This also represents an adaptionof Gysbers' and Moore's (1981) concert of the IndividualPlanning component. They advocated individual work; ourcaseloads dictate grow, work.

Implementation of the Individual Planning System hasbecome more systematic than responsive. Instead ofrevolving around requests by parents for individual atten-tion, counselors plan group guidance sessions to providestudents with the information and assistance they need tomake their educational and career plans. Beginning in theeighth grade, students and their parents participate in largegroup sessions where they are provided information, oftenin printed form, about the options in front of them, e.g., highschool course offerings, college entrance testing, collegeapplications and financial aid processes. Follow-up small-group or individual sessions are then held to assist studentsin making their personalized plans. In the ninth grade, morespecific information about high school opportunities isprovided. In the tenth grade, students are again asked toconsider possible careers and make plans to use the rest oftheir high school opportunities to their best advantage. Inthe eleventh grade, students formulate a tentative post-highschool plan and develop a "plan of action" for achieving

4 ..-. :.


that tentative goal. Early in the twelfth grade, they reassessthose plans and check to ensure they are properly placed toimplement that plan.

Communication has improved betwe the programs atthe three school levels. Transition assisaince has been a toppriority since we began installing the ComprehensiveGuidance Program. It has caused counselors to articulatetheir programs from one level to the next, e.g., elementaryand middle school counselors collaborate on the transitioncurriculum to ensure that all objectives are covered and thatmajor items do not slip through the cracks. Encouragementhas been offered to schools to adapt teacher advisoryprograms; each year a few more schools venture into thesepractices

System Support

In the Northside adaption of the Gysbers and Moore Model.we found it useful to define this component as having twoparts: (1) the support the guidance program provides to theoverall educational system, and (2) the support the guidanceprogram needs from the overall system. Sorting out thesetwo halves has been important in getting all of our tasks onthe table for negotiation. In analyzing the "old" guidanceprogram, we learned that we provided support to eight otherprograms: regular education (elementary and/or secondary),the testing program, career, special, gifted and vocationaleducation, the discipline management program, and com-pensatory education. For the areas where the guidanceprogram needs support from the overall system, we built onthe Gysbers and Moore (1981) categories: policies and pro-cedures; staff development; program development; budget;facilities and equipment; staff allocations; access tostudents; and public relations.

The counse* rs' contributions in support of the systemare more guidance related and less administrative than theywere in the "old" model. For example, in both preregistra-tion and registration there are student-focused tasks whichhelp students make appropriate course choices. Bothactivities also include other system-focused tasks, e.g.,inputting the student choices into the computer or buildingan appropriate master schedule for the school. In the

93

Encouragementhas been offeredto schools to adaptteacher advisoryprograms.


It has beenthrough sortingtasks according tothe programcomponents thatthe non-guidanceappropriate tasksare beingIdentified andremoved from thecounselors' dailywork.

The goal-basedimprovementsystem calls forcollaboration withthe principals inestablishing goalsand in monitoringprogress towardthe goals.

standardized testing program, the student-focused tasks helpstudents and their parents learn what the results mean andhow to use them. System-focused tasks in the testingprogram include planning and administering the tests andhelping teachers use the test results appropriately. Some ofthese system-focused tasks do not have to be done by schoolcounselors; others should be done by them, as in the inter-pretation of standardized test results and the implications ofthese results for the instructional program. Data-entry is aclerical task; master schedule building is an administrativetask. Planning the logistics of test administration is not anecessary correlate of test results interpretation; helpingteachers use test results appropriately is. It has been throughsorting tasks according to the program components that thenon-guidance appropriate tasks are being identified andremoved from the counselors' daily work.

At the elementary level, for example, systemic changeshave been made to assist the counselors in streamlining theirnon-guidance responsibilities to special education. Grade-level staffings have helped teachers learn a variety ofalternatives for helping students with special problems.Assignment of the paperwork needed for referral to the staffperson with the information has freed counselors fromredundant research work, e.g., nurses complete healthhistories, teachers assess educational achievement levels,administrators draw conclusions about students' behaviors.At the middle school level, new student registrationalarge task in our growing and mobile communityis nowhandled initially in the "Front Office" by school secretaries.New students see the counselors when their paperwork hasbeen cleared (e.g., verification of residency, immunizationrecords) and they are ready to enroll.

At all levels, guidance staffs have improved theeffectiveness of their programs by providing their calendarsfor the year, so that all staff learn about guidance prioritiesand services. Weekly communications with administratorsand instructional department leaders have enhancedcollaboration in the buildings. Initiative has been taken bycounselors to explain their program to teachers and parentsin order for them to make better use of the counselors'services. The goal-based improvement system calls forcollaboration with the principals in establishing goals and inmonitoring progress toward the goals.

1 i.t. -..;

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in San Anwnio

In order to ensure effective delivery of the Comprehen-sive Guidance Program, the steering committee maderecommendations regarding the support the guidanceprogram needed from the system in order to deliver the"new" guidance program. The recommendations which havebeen implemented to date include the development of thecomponent resources guides, the development of thecounselor performance improvement system, the provisionof time for guidance program and counselor staffdevelopment, and the clarification of job descriptions forguidance department clerical personnel.

Successes of the Program to Date

Many changes have occurred in Northside's guidanceprogram since the adoption and initial implementation of theComprehensive Guidance Program Model. Some have beenmajor, such as the amount of time spent on, and the numberof lessons taught in, the guidance curriculum component atall three levels. Some have been less dramatic, such as theindividual ways counselors have found to streamline theirpaperwork (e.g., having photocopies of transcripts attachedto the seniors' "Mid-Year Reports" to the colleges they haveapplied to, rather than hand-copying the information ontothe forms). The Comprehensive Program Model is workingwell for the students, parents, teachers and administrators.The counselors, too, feel good about the work they do.

Although we are lust beginning to evaluate guidance andcounseling activities on the basis of actual attainment ofstudent/other client outcomes, subjective evaluations andsome data-gathering tells us we are going in the rightdirection. Through the developmental guidance components,the Guidance Curriculum and the Individual PlanningSystem, 100 percent of the students are being served. Allstudents have regular access to their counselors through theclassroom and group guidance sessions. Thus, it is easier forstudents to ask their counselors for help with special prob-lems. During 1987-88, the elementary school counselorsprovided Responsive Services to 35 percent of their students!

As parents increase their awareness of how the guidanceprogram operates, they are better able to understand therange of services the counselors provide. Parents are now

95

The Compre-hensive ProgramModel is workingwell for thestudents, parents,teachers andadministrators.

As parentsincrease theirawareness of howthe guidanceprogram operates,they are betterable to unders-tand the range ofservices the coun-selors provide.

96 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCF PROGRAMS THAT WORK

...counselors andtheir principalsare workingcollaboratively toattain mutualgoals.

...the programexpectations areclear: Counselingstudents who arenot succeedingacademically isthe number onepriority.

able to make better use of the counselors and are moreunderstanding when they do not get the instantaneousresponse from counselors they expected in the past.Counselors have improved their communication withparents by sending materials home, particularly curriculumcontent information and information needed by parents tohelp students make personal plans. When a parent calls for acounselor and is told "She is in the classroom now, may Ihave her return your call?" the parent can "see" what thecounselor is doing; being "in the classroom' is moreconcrete than "She is busy right now."

Teachers understand and appreciate the programapproach. "Program" is a concept that they live by. Whencounselors explain their program in terms of the fourcomponents, it is meaningful to teachers. They understandwhat curriculum is and can understand when counselorsneed to use class time to teach students. They alsounderstand that the Responsive Services component is onlyone aspect of the counselors' job, and can better understandthat some of the tasks done by counselors to support thesystem need to be shared by teachers.

Administrators better understand the varied jobs thatcounselors do. They appreciate the unique skills that thecounselors bring to their buildings. At Northside last yearseveral of the high schools experienced student suicidecrises. Because of their understanding of the ResponsiveServices, principals turned to their counselors as the expertsto help relieve student pressures on the campuses. Becauseof the clarity of the program and the goal attainmentapproach to change, counselors and their principals areworking collaboratively to attain mutual goals. Workingtogether as members of the sr.me team is a big improvementover working in isolation from one another.

The counselors feel less harried because their roleexpectations are clearer, their job descriptions are concreteand their performance evaluations reflect the programexpectations. In addition, the program expectations areclear: Counseling students who are not succeedingacademically is the number one priority. When programchoices must be made, counselors base their decisions onestablished priorities. The evaluation of the quality of theirprogram is based on established standards. They are able to


plan ahead for a day, a week, or a year; and although crisisinterruptions still occur, they are cognizant of what has orhas not been done as planned. Again, conscious decisionsguide their work behaviors; they are in controlas much aspossibleof their own work destiny.

The clarity of the program design has caused counselorsto be more explicit in their requests for support from thesystem. Program materials budgets have increased becauseof counselors' abilities to request specific materials that theyneed to implement their program. Counselor/student ratioshave improved because programmatic rationale exists tosupport die requests. Public relations efforts have improvedbecause counselors can readily define their program.Collegiality has improved because the similarities of theprograms have been emphasized. More sharing occurs notonly at individual school levels but also across the districtbetween all levels.

Counselors have reaped tangible benefits because theirroles, responsibilities and professional needs have beenmade clear in the shift to the Comprehensive ProgramModel. Their salaries have increased, their contract year hasbeen lengthened, and opportunities for them to becomemore involved in professional growth activities haveincreased. Inservice education and training is moremeaningful because it is focused on program deliverypriorities.

In addition to the obstacles mentioned earlier, however,some problems still need to be addressed. The biggest on-going challenge still is to free counselors from some of thetime-consuming non-guidance and counseling tasks. Someare tasks that individual counselors continue to choose todo, in spite of the district's stance that they not do them,e.g., counting test bo kiets because they feel personallyaccountable. Letting go of some "old favorites" is difficultfor some.

On the other hand, there are still some systemic changesthat need to occur if counselors are going to be able tocontinue to decrease the time they spend supporting otherprograms. The school system has to direct others to takeresponsibility for such major efforts as coordinating thetesting program and the system-focused tasks of the pre-registration process. Implementing a teacher-advisory

97

The biggest on-going challengestill is to freecounselors fromsome of the time-consuming non-guidance andcounseling tasks.


As we face ourfourth year ofimplementation,one challenge isto maintain themomentum forchange.

system in all the secondary schools would help. TheGuidance Steering Committee envisioned a "TechnicalAssistant," a high level paraprofessional aide who wouldhandle some of the large logistical -sks. Some systemimprovement is still needed for us achieve the properbalance we identified for our Comprehensive GuidanceProgram.

Plans and Goals for the Future

As we face our fourth year of implementation, one chal-lenge is to maintain the momentum for change. In the begin-ning, the strides made were major, systemic strides such asthe policy that elementary children are taught a guidancelesson once a week; however, the implementation of thelesson-a-week schedule cost time from the ResponsiveServices, rather than from the non-guidance aspects of thecounselors' work. On an individual building basis coun-selors are divesting themselves of some less appropriatetasks so that they can provide more small group counselingfor students with protlems.

At Northside we have implemented an annual goal-setting, implementation and evaluation process as thevehicle for keeping the momentum going. Counselors setprogram improvement goals each year to address thediscrepancies identified between the old and the newprograms. Their goals target specific new activities to beadded during the year or specific tasks to be transferred toothers. For example, one counselor might commit to begin-ning a small group for children of substance abusers;another counselor might commit to training the new specialeducation teacher to complete the paper work required forthe annual re-evaluation of special needs students.

From the district's perspective, goal areas for the near-future include improving counselors' roles as advocates forthe students, continuing improvement of the district's effortsto help students make the transition from elementary tomiddle to high school, striving for better counselor/studentratios (particularly at the middle school level), andcontinuing to decrease counselors' involvement in ncd-guidance tasks.

1 :-, 8

The Comprehens,ve Guidance Program in San Antonio

Students who do not conform to the schools' expecta-tions and norms (e.g., minority and at-risk students) needadvocates, particularly in the wake of educational reform.Counselors are often asked to play that role, but they do notnecessarily have the skills they need to be effective. Inser-vice education has been conducted to alert counselors toadvocacy issues. The next step is for counselors to conductself-evaluations in regard to these issues and then to assistthem to develop the skills they need to advocate appro-priately within the school system. Evaluation of theguidance program's responsiveness to minority clients willbe done in the near future.

The program we offer our students in transition fromone school level to the next (elementary to middle, middleto high) is not well-defined. We spend a lot of effort in someactivities within this program, but as yet we have not lookedat it as a whole. We are proceeding by identifyirg theseactivities within the context of the four comprehensiveprogram components, and by clarifying the studentoutcomes that follow from these activities. We will see,against the backdrop of the Comprehensive Model, whereactivities are missing and what needed outcomes are notreached, and we will build new activi ...a as a result.

The counselor/student ratios at the middle school levelsare too high considering the needs of students in this agegroup for guidance and counseling. We have been success-ful in reducing ratios at the elementary and at the highschool levels. This new priority will present a challengeThe other ratio reductions that occurred in the district werethe result of system changes: At the elementary level, theinitiation of the lesson-a-week, and at the high school level,the redefinition of the roles of the Head Counsel( and the11....o.ional Counselor resulted in a lowering of counselor/student ratios. At this time, there is no systemic changerecommended at the middle school level. Middle schoolstudents simply need more guidance and counseling thanthey are getting. Since this conclusion is a professionaljudgment of student needs based on experience, a rationalemust be developed on the basis of student needs assessment.

The biggest challengeto us and to other schooldistricts no doubtis the divesting of the inappropriateassignments that have become part of the guidance program.

99

Evaluation of theguidanceprogram'sresponsiveness tominority clientswill be done in thenear future.

The tiggestchallenge...is thedivesting of theinappropriateassignments thathave become partof the guidanceprogram.


...you wil l findthat focusing onindividualagendas Ls notenough. You willneed a broadperspective toidene all of thechanges that arenecessary.

The first step is educating others about the many thingscounselors do that are not inherently guidance P n dcounseling tasks. Next, creative solutions for getting thesenecessary tasks accomplished must be found. Finally, ideasand recommendations must be turned into actual practices.

One example at Northside of this tyr^ of needed changeis the coordination of the group standardized test adminis-tration. In our opinion, administrators are expert schedulers.and planning the test administration is a scheduling task;thus administrators ought to do it. Also, administratorsrather than c mnselors have authority over teachers and,therefore, art. better able to enlist their cooperation. Bring-ing about this change, however, is not easy. We began byhaving counselors seek the support of administrators inworking with teachers who were reluctant to help with thetesting program. The next step was to collaborate withadministrators on building the testing schedule. In only avery few instances have the administrators finally takenover this responsibility.

Advice to New Implementers

Although it is slow going in the beginninganalyzing themodel you currently have, struggling to internalize theconcept of the comprehensive program modelyo" mustbase your plans for change; on this foundation. Everyonewho works on the project will already have identified one ortwo things they would like changed, but you will find thatfocusing on individual agendas is not enough. You will needa broad perspective to identify all of the changes that arenecessary.

Involve as many people as you can in the changesprocess. All counselors need to be involved early on, so they

All counselors buy into the change recommendations that are forthcoming.need to be Counselors, however, cannot bring about all of the changesinvolved early on, themselves, so you must involve others: students, teachers,so they buy into parents, principals and administrative representatives fromthe change other programs that have an interest or an investment inrecommendations the guidance program. Gysbers and Henderson (1988)that are suggest that your steering committee be made up of systemforthcoming. representatives: administrators, counselors and, perhaps,

1 1 014.


teachers; and that your advisory committee be made up of"clients": students, parents and business community repre-sentatives. Depending on your particular situation, teachersmay fit better on the advisory committee.

As you approach the exciting prospect of implementingthe Comprehensive Guidance Program Model, you mustavoid the tendency to be impatient, to have the changesnow! Plan: your program changes carefully and cautiously sothat you will be comfortable living with them for a while. Inother words, "do it right the first time."

It is important to give yourself enough time to solidifythe vision of the "new" and improved program as it will bethe basis for the rest of your change-work and for successfulimplementation. Your vision of the program provides therationale behind the changes that need to be made, and forexplaining the "new" program to newcomers and resistors.You must hold to your vision as you begin to put improve-ments in place and continue to set goals. If the othersinvolved in the program changes feel comfortable with theconcepts that undergird the new program, they will take theinitiative and find opportunities to make the necessarychanges. Many of the changes will be small changes; it isfrom the accumulation of these small changes that the bigchange will occur.

A counseling expert must take the leadership role and bethe keeper of the vision. If you are anticipating change at thebuilding level, a counselor is this expert; at the district levelit will be the guidance cimmistrator. This keeper of thevis. n must be someone who thoroughly understands thepotential of guidance and counseling to make a differencewish students. This is essential if the right changes are tooccur. At times it will take the missionary zeal that is partand parcel of this understanding to keep the change momen-tum alive. The process can get bogged down, especiallywhen you finish one major step and before others envisionwhat is to come next.

My fine' :,iece of advice to new implementers is to riskmaking this effort"Go For It!"because it is worth itin the long run. At Northside, counselors now believe theyare valued as professionals who make important contribu-tions to the healthy growth and development of students.Improvements will always need to be made, risks will

1.r. . i.

101

...you must avoidthe tendency to beimpatient, to havethe changes now!

A counselingexpert must takethe leadershiprole and be thekeeper of thevision.


always have to be taken. The Comprehensive GuidanceProgram Model provides a well-defined context in which tomake appropriate changes and minimize the risks, makingthe improvement efforts a challenge to be enjoyed!

References

Golden, L. B. (1983). Brief family interventions in theschool setting. Elementary School Guidance andCounseling, 17, 288-293.

Gysbers, N. C., & Henderson, P. (1988). Developing andmanaging your school guidance prog,-am. Alexandria,VA: American Association for Counseling andDevelopment.

Gysbers, N. C., & Moore, E. J. (1981). Improving guidanceprograms. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Herr, E. L. (1979). Guidance and counseling in theschools: The past, present and future. Washington, DC:American Personnel and Guidance Association.

Northside Independent School District. (1986). Compre-hensive guidance program framework. San Antonio,TX: Author.

Northside Independent School District. (1989). Guidancecurriculum: Domain and goals. San Antonio, TX:Author. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service Na. CG022 003)

Quest National Center. (1985). Skills for adolescence.Columbus, OH: Author.

Texas Education Agency. (1988). State board of education:Rules for curriculum. Austin, TX: Author.

Chapter 6

Guidance and Counseling NewHampshire Style

Josephine B. Hays lipJames V. Carr

In September of 1987 the New Hampshire StateBoard of Education strongly advised counselors inNew Hampshire's public schools to alter themanner in which they deliver guidance andcounseling programs to students. This was thebeginning of New Hampshire's successful statewideadoption of the Comprehensive Guidance Model.

Introduction

Recently there has been a growing awareness that guidanceand counseling programs in the state of New Hampshireneed adjustment in order to meet the needs of all of thestudents rather than just a few. In addition, new stateapproved standards have been promulgated that requiregreater accountability for guidance programs K-12 throughthe development of student outcomes. As a result of thesetwo factors, interested professionals joined in the design of amodel for a New Hampshire Comprehensive Guidance andCounseling Program. Six additional factors contrituted tothe development of this program:

1. A number of counselors and their principalsexpressed the desire to change guidance andcounseling from an ancillary service to a program

1 - i-)4..7.. Co'

...there has beena growingawareness thatguidance andcounselingprograms in thestate of NewHampshire needadjustment inorder to meet theneeds of all of thestudents ratherthan just a few.

103


...counselors needto come out of theoffice and into theclassroom to gaingreater visibilitythroughout theschool.

with its own set of student competencies and its owncurriculum and they requested assistance from theState Board of Education.

2. The "news" that Dr. Norman Gysbers, a counseloreducator at the University of Missouri-Columbia,was in the process of developing a model compre-hensive guidance program in collaboration with theMissouri State Department of Education (and wouldperhaps be available as a resource).

3. The availability of vocational education funds (CarlPerkins funds) to develop a pilot project that wouldmake career counseling a respectable activity for allcounselors.

4. The recognition on the part of all partiescounseloreducators, state department personnel, schooladministrators, and counselors themselvesthatcounselors need to come out of the office and intothe classroom to gain greater visibility throughoutthe school.

5. The desire to ultimately involve business andindustry who are, of course, the potential employersof all students.

6. Finally, and probably most important, the realizationthat this was an opportunity to develop a guidancecurriculum with a key emphasis on studentoutcomes.

Strategies Used to Gain Adoption of the Model

At the New Hampshire State Board of Education meeting onSeptember 23, 1987, Edward Sweeney made the motion,seconded by Otis Cloud, to accept and endorse the NewHampshire Comprehensive Guidance and CounselingProgram Model Handbook and to encourage counselors inNew Hampshire's public schools to use this as they imple-ment a comprehensive program of guidance and counselingwith emphasis upon student outcomes that will requirechanging the way many professionals view the role of theguidance counselor in the schools. This was a unanimousvote (Carr, Hayslip, & Randall, 1988).

L 4

Guidance and Counseling New Hampshire Style

With this vote, the New Hampshire State Board ofEducation strongly advised counselors in New Hampshire'spublic schools to change the manner in which they deliverguidance and counseling programs to students. This votewas also a very important change agent strategy for it gavecounselors and administrators the needed emphasis tochange from delivering a guidance service to relatively fewstudents to delivering a comprehensive program to allstudents.

In June of 1987 as part of a plan initiated by James V.Carr of the New Hampshire State Department of Educationand Josephine B. Hayslip of Plymouth State College, 13professionals from throughout the state went to the NationalCenter for Research in Vocational Education at Ohio StateUniversity to develop the procedures, and subsequently aprocedures manual, under the tutelage of Norman Gysbersof the University of Missouri-Columbia and Harry Drier ofthe National Center. This group was composed of teams thatincluded a counselor and a principal from four geographi-cally and demographically different schools; three counseloreducators, two from public colleges and one from a privatecollege; one state department consultant in vocationalguidance; and a project editor. From this week long "thinktank" emerged not only a process but also a product. Thethirteen people who trained at Ohio State became not onlythe steering committee for the entire project, they alsobecame the trainers for 14 pilot schools who attended thefirst summer institute in August of 1987. The trainingprocedures that they used were the ones they developed atOhio State. In a sense, the steering committee was givingand receiving training at the same time they were training anadditional ten schools, for up until then neither the original13member steering committee nor the additional tenschools had completed the first year's set of commitments:

1. Accomplishment of a year long "time and task"analysis.

2. Completion of an assessment of student needsgenerated from surveys of students, parents,teachers, and the community.

3. Development of an on-site steering committee toassist with the needs assessment surveys and to

105

...the NewHampshire StateBoard ofEducationstrongly advisedcounselors in NewHampshire'spublic schools tochange themanner in whkhthey deliverguidance andcounselingprograms tostudents.


Most obstaclesthat we have metalone theway...centeraround thereluctance ofpeople to changebehavior.

All of theparticipants reportthat it is dcult,though notimpossible, to livein a guidanceprogram whilechanging it.

translate the needs assessment data into the state-ments of desired student outcomes.

4. Writing of a guidance program action plan that willeventually include as part of the role of the coun-selor, participation in the teaching of guidancecompetencies.

5. Establishment of a local advisory committee.

In turn, the 14 pilot schools became the trainers for the35 new start-up schools in August 1988. The schools metduring the school year at three statewide meetings and atthree regional meetings that were set up and run by theparticipants themselves. Using the program handbook astheir guide, the pilot schools accomplished (1987-88) andthe start-up schools are accomplishing (1988-89) their "timeand task" analyses, their needs assessments, the interpre-tation of these needs assessments through the use of theirsteering committees, and the translation of the data intostatements of desired student outcomes.

Obstacles

Most obstacles that we have met along the way, during thefirst year-and-a-half of the pilot schools, and the first sixmonths of the start-up schools, center around the reluctanceof people to change behavior. Although we had strongwritten and verbal commitments and participation fromadministrators in the early training portions of the project,many administrators handed this responsibility over to alead counselor once the school year began. With severaloutstanding exceptions, principals continue to be con-spicuously absent from the follow-up meetings, although thecommitment is apparently still there. On one occasion, aprincipal covered for a counselor so that the counselor couldattend our statewide meeting.

All of the participants report that it is difficult, thoughnot impossible, to live in a guidance program whilechanging it. Dan Hummel, a middle school counselor fromSalem, who was one of the Ohio State participants, loves totell Norm Gysbers' story about remodeling your housewhile living in it. "It's a lot messier that way, but you can


see the change going on right under your very eyes." Ourmodel pilot and start-up schools, the ones who are followingthe procedures to the letter, are enthusiastic and optimistic.Those who are trying to take shortcuts or skip a procedureare lukewarm and more pessimistic.

Another obstacle, perhaps the biggest one, is thecounselor who has become very comfortable with themedical model, does not want to leave the comfort andshelter of the office, and has difficulty involving teachersand others in guidance activities. When we began thisprocess, we required that every counselor sign a documentstating that he/she is committed to the project. Sometimeswe have to remind them that they agreed to become andstay involved. Generally it is their colleagues that do thereminding. This peer pressure helps a lot.

Staffing may be an obstacle, although we don't have allof the particulars yet to determine this. At the present time,we are working with one "three-fifths" time project editorwho is also responsible for some of the training. The projectdirector is a fulltime counselor educator, and the projectconsultants are also fulltime department of educationemployees who have a commitment to this program in theirjob descriptions.

Review Procedures

We built in some review procedures at the very beginning,although at the dine we were actually unaware that thesewere review procedures. Regularly scheduled meetings,both regional and statewide, have turned out to be excellentforums for reviewing the state of the art, assisting oneanother with comparisons of process and problems, andsharing materials and strategies. Out of these meetings havecome a series of training packets which our editor, JudithRandall, has written into an attractive useable format. Thefour project personnel make on-she visits and meet with oneanother periodically so that they are in communicationabout what is happening in the various regions.

A very professional quarterly newsletter UPDATE ismailed to an ever-widening audience. School board chairsand superintendents throughout New Hampshire are now

107

Another obstacle,perhaps thebiggest ore, is thecounselorwho...does notwant to leave thecomfort andshelter of theoffice, and hasdifficultyinvolving teachersand others inguidanceactivities.

108 COMPREIIENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

receiving this newsletter. Consequently, we are receivingrequests from other school districts to join the program.

A review procedure that we are now beginning to use isa brief evaluation sheet after each statewide and/or regionalmeeting. Our project staff grew from three to four persons inthe fall of 1989: Donna Cavalieri is now our evaluationspecialist.

What Aspects of the Model Were EspeciallyWell Received?

No one could have predicated and, in fact, everyone is quitesurprised, by the aspects of the Model that have been wellreceived in New Hampshire. Important dialogue wasestablished and maintained among counselors and betweencounselors and other professionals. Several of the schoolsset up and maintained regular counselor staff meetings.

Counselors began Counselors began to talk to one another, sharing bothto talk to one successes and concerns. As they talked with one anotheranother, sharing they seemed to gain the strength to reach out to the steeringboth successes committees and, through the steering committees, to theand concerns. significant publics they needed to reach for needs assess-

ment data.Also surprising was the enthusiasm for and success of

the time and task analysis. In our original training, weresisted the time it would take us to accomplish the time andtask analysis. Yet, participants sang the praises of the timeand task analysis for the results gave them the data tosupport their long suspected conclusion that guidancecounselors spend too much time on non-guidance functions.

Some of the original participants felt that they would notbe able to involve their own school staff members in thesteering committee and the task of conducting a needsassessment. Again, once this task was thoroughly under-

...local school stood and begun, local school personnel became interestedpersonnel became and committed.interested and Other aspects of the model that were especially wellcommitted. received included the program handbook itself. This

handbook is so professional in both appearance and content,that it received the American Vocational Association's"Vocational Instructional Materials Award."


Because a lot of attention is being paid to process aswell as product, the continuing support that the (now) 49schools are giving to one another has turned out to be a mostvaluable and well received part of this project. A great dealof networking is going on within the schools, among theschools, and between the pilot schools and the start-upschools. This networking is often informal, and the staff haslearned to "build in" a lot of time at regional and statewidemeetings for informal discussion.

Some Difficult Areas

The most difficult part of this project was getting started.Guidance counseling personnel in New Hampshire havepracticed in the medical model for a long time. The medicalmodel felt very comfortable because students come tocounselors for "treatment" and often it's difficult to let go ofsomething that seems to be working. Therefore, it wasdifficult to overcome the inertia that existed in many of theschools. This is one of the reasons that the project began inschools that were, for the most part, willing to considermaking some drastic changes in the way they do business.

Another problem area became apparent during thesummer training workshops. Several of the schools thatcame for training on "how to change your guidance programwhile living in it" brought their own agendas. The projecttrainers realized they needed to give some of the participantstime to ventilate their feelings about what was happening atwork before they could begin to talk about how they neededto change.

Keeping administrators involved is very difficult. Theseveral schools where the project is working at optimumexpectations are those in which the principal is involved atall levels: local, regional, and state. If the principal hasdecided to remain uninvolved, the project is not likely to besuccessful. In New Hampshire, the participation of prin-cipals in the project runs the gamut from total involvementto no involvement. In every case, success of the project inindividual schools is directly correlated with the seriouscommitment of the principal to the project.

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...the continuingsupport that the(now) 49 schoolsare giving to oneanother hasturned out to be amost valuable andwell received partof this project.

...it was difficultto overcome theinertia thatexisted in many ofthe schools.

...success of theproject inindividual schoolsis directlycorrelated withthe seriouscommitment ofthe principal tothe project.


Initially counselors were skeptical about how theywould ever find the time to carry out the tasks of the project,but as the tasks began to make sense and to deliver on thecounselor's expectations, counselors began to move thetacks up in their time priorities.

Role of the Counselor in the Adoption Process

Counselors are Counselors are taking over the, leadership of the project andtaking over the enjoying it. As project staff members move around the state,leadership of the observing more than participating in the regional meetings,project and it is clear that the counselors see a reason for taking thisenjoying it. leadership role and facilitating the progress of the project.

The counselors not only operate as facilitators within theirlocal school districts and in their regional meetings, theyalso communicate with one another regarding progressand/or problems.

A key reason forthe success of theprogram in NewHampshire is thateveryone isinvolved at everystage ofdevelopment.

How the Program Functions inNew Hampshire

A key reason for the success of the program in NewHampshire is that everyone is involved at every stage ofdevelopment. Interestingly, although the original steeringcommittee initially made a two-year commitment to theproject, participating schools have determined that it willtake three years before a revised program will be in place.An active steering committee made up of volunteers fromthe total group assists the project staff in planning anddeveloping both process and product.

The program handbook is a significant part of theproject. Although it is spiral bound, the participants regardthe handbook as a draft. They know that the next update ofthe handbook will reflect their work. In New Hampshire, thehandbook may only be procured by direct involvement inthe project.

The editor of the handbook and the training packets isemployed three-fifths time. She is not only the editor of thisattractive, useful document, but is also deeply involved inone of the regions and all of the state meetings, and is one of

I


the four staff members who manage the project. The fivetraining packets that she has produced include: (1) a set ofoverheads and how to use them (The overheads are mostlycopies of those which Norman Gysbers uses in his presenta-tions.); (2) a steering committee packet; (3) a set of programoverview originals, a seven-page synopsis of the program;(4) a set of master calendars with instructions on how to usethem; and (5) a needs assessment packet with examples ofsome that have been used in the pilot schools. All of thepackets are of a quality that can be duplicated for use withlocal steering and advisory committees.

One special feature that has enhanced this projectconsiderably is the continued support that it is receivingfrom the commissioner of education and the state board ofeducation. Once tte state board began to hear of theproject's successes, they asked that the project staff write agrant requesting state funds. This has been done andadditional funding is in the current budget process. Anotherspecial feature that has enhanced the project is the additionof a state consultant in guidance, Donna Cavaliers, who hasexpertise as an elementary counselor and who has assistedin the development of a brand new set of elementarycompetencies. Donna also brings expertise in the area ofmeasurement and evaluation. Thus, we are now able to moreappropriately evaluate the process as we move along. As aresult of her investment in the project we are developinginstruments that evaluate both process and products.

The Success of the Program to Date

Many things contribute to the continuing success of theproject. We have taken liberties with the expertise and theresources of Norman Gysbers and Harry Drier. They notonly continue to be available to meet with us at variousconferences and conventions, they also continue to be eagerto assist us with the entire endeavor. Norman Gysbers andHarry Drier are two very patient people with great coun-seling as well as consulting skills. No problem or situationis too great or too small to gain their undivided attention.They are friends and colleagues as well as mentors.

111

...we aredevelopinginstruments thatevaluate bothprocess andproducts.

112 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANL PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Another important reason for the success of the projectis the commitment of the individual professionals as they"come on board." Owned at first by a small cadre of dedi-cated professionals, the project has expanded to include amuch larger, albeit still dedicated, group. The project is

The project is carefully monitored by those committed to the project andcarefully everyone is willing to share problems as well as successes.monitored by When we first began the project, we were warned thatthose committed we must tackle and complete the tasks in sequence accord-to the project and ing to the handbook. Progress has been slow and steady aseveryone is we have proceeded to do this.willing to share Counselors were long aware that they were not servingproblems as well the needs of all the students in the school system. The Newas successes. Hampshire Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling

Program has given them a means of changing their style.They are no longer providing service to a few but are ratheroffering a program to many. The continuing networking at

Counselors were various meetings and through correspondence is one of thelong aware that key reasons for this change.they were notserving the needsof all the students Some Problems and Challengesin the schoolsystem. This project has not been problem-free by any means. The

major problem area occurred right at the very beginning.Two of the participating schools decided they knew bestwhat their students needed and they skipped the time andtask analysis, steering committee formation, and needsassessment. These people plunged right into teachingcurriculum in the classrooms. And because uiey had not laidthe groundwork, they ran into resistance from classroomteachers. Sometimes the teacher simply left the classroomand then never did any follow-up. In some instances thecurriculum that the counselor chose was inappropriate or nottaught correctly.

Another problem that emerged was that some counselorswere unwilling or unable to share those skills which theyviewed as their "domain." Several counselors felt they wereexperts at cnreer counseling arid college counseling. Othercounselors were devoted to course scheduling. Some coun-selors resisted changing &Nil working one-on-one in coursescheduling to meeting with groups or classes.

r-


The present staffing pattern may become a problem area.Although the project has grown from 14 to 49 schools, theproject staff has remained about the same. Except for theproject editor who is employed three-fifths time, otherproject personnel (including the project director and twostate department personnel) must add this project to analready full schedule. This problem may ease slightly nextyear when the project director will be on sabbatical from hercollege teaching position.

Measures of Success

One measure of success has been the response by otheN tothe program. In the .,ast we have sent invitations to NcwHampshire schools in late March or early April invitingthem to join the project and to attend the training L. August.This year (1989-90) we already tine enough sch.ol dis-tricts on a waiting list to run the summer workshop.

The project has received a number of requests frompeople outside of New Hampshire for copies of the hand-book. Although we are sending copies to them, we are alsocautioning them to develop and use their own "process andprocedures" handbook. It's harder, messier and it takeslonger, but it works.

The project is receiving the enthusiastic response andendorsement of local school boards. The steering commit-tees at the local level are keeping the school boardsinformed of their progress, either directly or through theiradministrators, at every step of the way.

Also, the project has been presented at a number ofstate and regional conferences and national conventions.At the American Vocational Association's AnnualConvention, project staff were pleased to find a sizableaudience at their 4:30 p.m. presentation. Of course, ourplace on the program immediately following Dr. NormanGysbers may have contrihned to this staying power just abit. Project staff presented at the American Association forCounseling and Development's Annual Convention inBoston in the spring of 1989 to a full house at 8:30 a.m. onthe fast full day of the Convention.

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113

One measure ofsuccess has beenthe response byothers to theprogram.

The project isreceiving theenthusiasticresponse andendorsement oflocal schoolboards.


These earlypeople are the besttrainers, for theycan tell the realstory aboutproblems as wellas successes.

We need tostrongly qffirmthe commitmentof all parties,especially theadministrators.

Plans and Goals Contemplated for the Future

Based upon our experience to date, we will continue inmuch the same manner as we have since the project began.We know that we will definitely keep Norman Gysbersinvolved. He makes an initial presentation to participantsthat is truly key to the success of the program. He providesthe encouragement and the spirit th_ le counselors need asthey begin to make this gradual change.

We also intend to keep as many of the original partici-pants involved as we add new people to the program. Theseearly people are the best trainers, fc7 they can tell the realstory about problems as well as successes.

The position of project director needs to become at leasta halftime position. With encouragement and funding, this isa hope and a dream for next year.

The project is not making any dramatic promises. Forexample, we are not promising to affect the dropoutproblem. Do many other programs have tried to do this; it'stoo difficult and too complex of a problem to be addressedthis simply. However, certainly elements exist within theComprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, with itsemphasis on student competencies and outcomes, toengender interest on the part of other funding sources, bothpublic and private. One of the responsibilities for the projectdirector during her sabbatical will be to identify and pursuesome additional funding.

If last summer's training program were to be run all overagain, we would not try to work with 100 people at once andwe would not have included the three largest schools in thestate. Tackling three large schools at one time was a mis-take. Each school's personnel arrived with too much to settleamong themselves. Also, we tried to do the training on ashoestring and left Norman Gysbers out. We won't do thatagain. If we can obtain the funding we will run two con-secutive workshops of 50 participants each. We will havesmaller groups and be able to have Gysbers for both events.

The next time we will develop a tighter contract forschools that are entering u.he program. We need to stronglyaffirm the commitment of all parties, especially theadministrators.

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Advice for Those About to Implement aComprehensive Program

1. The first and most important piece of advice theproject members offer to those about to implement acomprehensive program is to follow the proceduresin sequence. It is also very important to allow peopleto proceed at their own pace. Some will take longerthan others to form steering committees and conductneeds assessments. The results, whatever the pace,will be similar and well worth waiting for.

2. Be sure to include Norman Gysbers early and oftenin the project. He was as accessible to us as the otherend of the telephone, and on more than one occasionbailed us out when we were headed in the wrongdirection.

3. Begin with those early enthusiasts who you knoware going to make it happen. This cadre of peoplewill stay with you and will become your spokes-people as well as your trainers.

4. Engage an editor who will create attractive, usefulmaterials. Judy has been more than committed to theproject; she often has been the thread that has heldthe project, and the staff, together.

5. Find a comfortable place for people to meet. Bothsummers the training program has been held oncampus at Plymouth State College. For the firstsummer this location was ideal: The weather wasperfect, the mix of people was perfect, and we allcame away motivated to move forward in tandem.The second summer, August 1988, was the hottestsummer on record, the numbers were huge, and themix of participants was large and varied. At the endof the two-and-a half day training, many of us weresurprised that we succeeded as well as we did.Despite our succesa in the face of adversity, it wasstill difficult to assemble all of those people for astatewide meeting. We are seriously consideringchanging to all regional meetings with representa-tives of the regionals attending statewide meetings.

The project staff has several recommendations to maketo new people implementing the program. First and

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115

Allow theprocedures insequence....allowpeop!e to proceedat their own pace.

Begin with thoseearly enthusiastswho you know aregoing to make ithappen.


If people aregoing to be livingin a guidanceprogram whilechanging it, theymust be given theevaluation tools tomonitor theirprogress.

We are engaged inthis processbecause we wantto change, notbecause someoneis mandating thatwe change.

foremost is to give participants plenty of time to talk toone another. Although staff might bring to a trainingprogram the "prefect agenda," if the participants aren'tready for this agenda, they will only become angry andfrustrated.

Also, people who serve in the role of facilitators needto appreciate the value of monitoring. If people are goingto be living in a guidance program while changing it, theymust be given the evaluation tools to monitor their progress.They need to know they aie making progress. Project staffand participating schools must pay a lot of attention to theprocess as it progresses so that all are "on board" at alltimes.

New Hampshire, like many other states, does not havemany state dollars available to make the kind of changessuggested in the comprehensive program. Therefore, theprogram is not mandated by the state. Those of us involvedin New Hampshire believe this is a plus. We are engaged inthis process because we want to change, not because some-one is mandating that we change. Counselors and adminis-trators want to become a part of the program because itmakes sense to do so. We are providing local school districtswith a process and a set of procedures to enable them to doit "their way."

A final recommendation: Keep an open mind and anopen heart, and learn from one another. As we workthrough the process, we are fmding wonderful happenings inevery school '.strict. As we work together, we learn thatcounselors care very much about their students becomingcapable, competent human beings.

References

Carr, J. V., Haysiip, J., & Randall, J. (1988). NewHampshire comprehensive guidance and counselingprogram: A guide to an approved model for programdevelopment. Plymouth, NH: Plymouth State College.

1 '' 24.r ki

Chapter 7

The Comprehensive GuidanceProgram in St. Joseph, Missouri

Mark H. HargensJean T. Johnson

St. Joseph, Missouri is a city of 16,000 predomi-nantly lower-middle and working-class citizens.Their school district of 12,000 students began theprocess of changing their guidance program in1979.

Introduction

Counselors of guidance personnel? Mental health workersor career educators? Group specialist or individualtherapist? Just what is a school counselor? This lack of roleand program definition is a continuing problem for schoolcounselors across the United States and has caused them tobe buffeted by every theoretical wind blowing across theland. One year, because of a suicide at school, they focus ontheir "mental health" role. The next year, because a VIP'schild did not get the right classes, they focus on their"educational advisement" duties. Where does it all end? Wethink that here in St. Joseph, Missouri, by making a strongcommitment to a developmental comprehensive guidancemodel, we have found the answer, for the most part, to thisproblem.

Our experience with the comprehensive program hasindeed been positive. School counselors have sought and

1 ',.. or,

Counselors orguidancepersonnel?Mental healthworkers or careereducators? Groupspecialist orindividualtherapist? Justwhat is a schoolcounselor?

117


...schoolprincipals andcounselors...wereunsure of whatthe counselorresponsibilitieswere supposed tobe in theirbuildings.

received a great deal of support from the Board of Educa-tion, administrators, teachers and the public. Over the lastnine years we have added nine elementary and one middleschool counselor. Previously our district had no elementarycounselors. We have adued high school career centers andmany additional materials to our program. We set our owncounselor-pupil ratios which were accepted by the Board ofEducation. We added more clerical help to our high schoolcounseling centers to speed record keeping, and personalcomputers have been added to most high school counselingoffices. Middle school counselors have been relieved oflunchroom duty, freeing them of an activity that consumedover one hour per day of their time. Our counselors havedeveloped classroom guidance packets (structured groupactivities) to be utilized by all counselors. A K-12 guidancecurriculum is used regularly by counselors. We have anevery-other-month in-service training program for updatingcounselors' skills and knowledge. The- most remarkablething about these changes is that most of them occurredduring a time of financial retrenchment and decliningenrollment in our district.

The St. Joseph School District is a middle-sized districtwith 12,000 students served by three high schools fourmiddle schools, 18 elementary schools and one vocational-technical school. St. Joseph is a small city of 76,000 withpredominantly lower-middle class and working-classcitizens. However, we have seen this model adopted bydistricts of all sizes and socio-economic levels in Missouriwith much the same result.

The Change Process

The process was started during the 1979-80 school year at ameeting of the St. Joseph school counselors. The meetingwas precipitated by comments from school principals andcounselors that they were unsure of what the counselorresponsibilities were supposed to be in their buildings.Principals also noted difficulty in evaluating indh.,:ualcounselors, and commented that there was no writtencounseling program. A decision was reached to establish acomprehensive counseling program that each counselor

1 : -.)

i. , Cr

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in St. Joseph, Missouri

would be responsible for implementing. At the time ,vestarted this change process, little was available to help guideour way. However, at about the same time a detailed processfor developing school counseling programs was suggestedby Dr. Norman Gysbers (Gysbers, 1978; Gysbers, 1981;Gysbers & Henderson, 1988). This process can best bedescribed in the following manner:

Deciding you want to changeOrganizing and :orming work groupsAssessing your cunmit programSelecting a program modelMaking the transition to a new programEvaluating the new system.

This is the general model we utilized in developing ourschool counseling program.

Mark Hargens, Director of Pupil Personnel Services,invited Norman Gysbers, Professor of Counselor Educationat the University of Missouri, to St. Joseph as a consultantto help with the development of a counseling program.Hargens and Gysbers met with the Superintendent ofSchools to seek a commitment that recommendations forchanges would get a considered hearing. When a positiveresponse was forthcoming, the movement toward a compre-hensive program began.

In the spring of 1980, all counselors met withDr. Gysbers and discussed both current activities andactivities in which they would like to be engaged. Aftercounselors agreed to review their present program (someagreed reluctantly), a steering committee was formed. Thiscommittee consisted of a school board member, a highschool principal, two parents, an elementary teacher, anelementary social worker, a middle school counselor,several high school counselors and the director ofcounseling. The steering committee coordinated all studyactivities, and individual members became chairmen ofsubcommittees.

The first major activity for a subcommittee was a timeand task study of how counselors were presently spendingtheir time. Counselors filled out printed time reports for ninerandomly selected weeks of the school year. At year's end,the results were compiled and analyzed. Another subcom-mittee obtained a list of all activities counselors were

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119

At the time westarted thischange process,little was availableto help guide ourway.


conducting in their buildings. A third subcommittee visitedother nearby districts known for having outstandingcounseling programs. A national meeting focusing onprograms and standards established by the American SchoolCounselors Association (Carroll, 1980) was attended by afourth subcommittee.

Information obtained by the subcommittees gave thesteering c,..rnmittee a large amount of data with which towork. Th' lit of counselor activities showed many thatwere traL;onally conducted by school counselors and thataided some part of the total school program, yet it wasapparent that many of these traditional activities lackedspecific purpose and had little value to the counselors. Thetime study showed that high school counselors were spend-ing less than 10 percent of their time on personal coun-seling, but approximately one-third of their time onadvisement and registration. Middle school counselors werespending 44 percent of their time on support services,including lunch room and clerical duties. Advisement, regis-tration, and support activities consumed over 50 percent ofthe counselors' time at the high school and middle school

Counselors felt levels. Counselors fort that more time should be spent onthat more time counseling students and curriculum activities.should be spent Visits to other districts, recommended by counselors inon counseling the field and the State Department of Education, yieldedstudents and many worthwhile ideas and activities. Especially note-curriculum worthy were classroom activities used by several schoolactivities. districts as ways to reach students who would not normally

seek out the counselor except for advisement purposes.Committee members began reviewing previous follow-upquestionnaires and studies of student needs as perceived bystudents. A few years passed before formal student needsassessments were incorporated into the program.

Developing the Model

At the same time St. Joseph counselors were going throughthis process, Norm Gysbers detailed a model guidanceprogram (Gysbers, 1981). This Model was chosen by ourdistrict, and a few years later also by the State of MissouriGuidance Section. This developmental mode is built around

130


four basic functions: (1) a curriculum component; (2) anindividual planning component; (3) a responsive-servicescomponent: and (4) a systems support component. Thecomponents are described in more detail below (Hargens,1987; Johnson, 1986).

Curriculum Component

The purpose of the guidance curriculum is to providestudents with knowledge of normal growth and develop-ment, to promote their positive mental health and to assistthem in acquiring and using life skills. It may be imple-mented through large groups or in the classroom. Thecurriculum component is based on learning philosophy withorganized activities, structured around a theme and reflect-ing a purpose. Structured group experiences may include theuse of audio-visual materials and commercial kits as well ascounselor-produced materials. A counselor implementingthe curriculum component should have an outline of thestructured group experience, with the theme and purposeidentified, prior to beginning the activity.

Individual Planning Component

The individual planning component involves guidance andcounseling functions dealing with the decision-makingprocess. It consists of activities that help all students plan,monitor, and manage their own learning as well as theirpersonal and career development. Within this component,students evaluate their educational, occupational, andpersonal goals and plans. This component is generally basedon the individual counseling model. It specifically addressesthe issues of advising students, investigating post-highschool placement, and a whole host of similar functions.

Responsive Services

This component does just what its name implies: respondsto individual needs. This component deals with mostcounseling situations where the counselor is responding tostudent initiated requests for assistance in personal concernsor in dealing with relationships. It involves consulting with

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121

The purpose ofthe guidancecurriculum is toprovide studentswith knowledge ofnormal growthand development,to promote theirpositive mentalhealth and toassist them inacquiring andusing life skills.


Some componentswere to be phased-in immediatelywhile otherswould take severalyears....

teachers, administrators and parents. This component alsoincludes crisis counseling as well as referrals to appropriatemental health services outside the school district. Aresponsive services component is most often delivered on anindividual or small-group basis.

System Support

This component encompasses all those guidance andcounseling activities that help the schools run smoothly andefficiently. Not all activities in this area need necessarily bedirect counseling functions but it is preferable if they arerelated to the regular work of the guidance and counselingstaff. Much individual school variation will be apparent withthis component. This component encompasses registrationof students, special education evaluations, assistance indeveloping curriculum, research, and other functions asneeded.

A percentage of "time to be vent" was allocated foreach component. The counseling development committeethen began the process of comparing our time study and theactivities in which we were presently engaged to the pro-posed developmental program. Some components were tobe phased-in immediately while others would take severalyears and include the cooperation of a large number of otherstaff members. The general structure of the guidanceprogram is outlined in the accompanying table.

The St. Joseph Guidance Program is time-driven. Thestructure suggests the ideal amount of time to be spent ineach area. Counselors are then expected to offer their ser-vices to meet the time struatires. An example of the organi-zation of a comprehensive guidance program of one of ourmiddle school counselors is included in this article asAppendix A.

Transition

After finishing the study, the steering committee presentedthe recommendations to the Board of Education. Recom-mendations suggested that the counseling program bedivided into four components and that a recommended

1 r'? e)J.. , . 'S

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in St. Joseph, Missouri 123

Table 1Guidance Program StructureSt. Joseph Guidance r 'rvices

% of Time

Elementary Middle HighSchool School School

I. Curriculum Component 25% 20% 15%

a. Classroom and large group presentations x x x

b. Community outreach x x x

II. Individual Planning 10% 20% 30%

a. Educational and Vocational counseling x x x

b. Placement x

c. Advisement x x

d. Career counseling (individual) x x

Ill. Responsive Services 55% 45% 35%

a. Consultation x x

b. Personal counseling x x x(groups and/or individuals)

c. Out-of-district referrals x x x

d. Crisis counseling x x x

IV. Systems Support 10% 15% 20%

a. Registration x x

b. Research x x x

c. Testing x x

d. Orientations x x

e. In-service x x x

f. Scholarships x

g. Curriculum development support x x x


percentage of time be spent on each component. Recom-mendations were based on solid evidence from the timestudy, from follow-up and other student studies, fromAmerican School Counselor Association standards, andfrom visits to other school districts' programs. The logicbehind each decision was reviewed. Priorities were sup-ported by the amount of time allocated to each component.Later, inservice sessions were held to acquaint all principalswith the model.

The following year the district counselors completed aThe curricu- counseling curriculum based on student competencies. Thelum...is a K-12 curriculum is organized around the three areas of personal/program designed social, educational, and career development. It includesto help all experiences at each grade level and provides the counselorstudents acquire with much-needed visibility and contact with all students.skills to handle This is a K-12 program designed to help all students acquirenormal skills to handle normal developmental tasks and problemsdevelopmental common to large numbers of students.tasks and An increased emphasis on groups flowed logically fromproblems.... this program. Since some counselors were not adequately

prepared to lead group activities, we contracted with amental health agency for inservice training. Groups werenecessary because the curriculum component used up muchof the time counselors were spending it individual coun-seling sessions (Hargens, 1982).

The need for an elementary counseling program becameapparent as well as for more clerical help at the high schoollevel. Middle school counselors needed to exchange theiradministrative support activities if they were to implementthe program. High school counselors began to look for waysto reduce their time in registration activities and to spendmore time on responsive services.

Addition of Evaluations

As we developed our program, it became obvious that sometype of program evaluation would be needed to ensurequality. During the spring of 1983, a committee wasappointed to develop a peer evaluation instrument to be usedsolely for the purpose of improving individual counselingprograms. The form that was developed was based on the

1 '..' /I


district "philosophy of counseling" and was written in sucha way that counselors would have the opportunity to showthat all parts of each component were present in their schoolcounseling program.

Additionally, the following year, a committee of St.Joseph counselors developed a performance-based evalua-tion instrument to be used by principals and the director ofcounseling for assessment of counselor performance and forpersonnel decisions by administrators. This instrumentevaluates the individual counselor while the peer evaluationinstrument mentioned above focuses on the program.

Problems with the Process

Initially, we planned to fully implement the program withinone or two years but found this to be impossible. The highschool counselors learned that exchanging non-guidanceduties for proposed program activities takes a good deal ofplanning and cooperation from others within the school.Additional staffing is sometimes required, but funds are notalways available immediately. Finally, some counselors didnot want to change and impeded the program in their schools.

The biggest change for most counselors involved imple-menting a curriculum. This obviously required good teach-ing skills. Some counselors did not feel comfortable goinginto the classroom even though they were teaching curricu-lum activities with which they were familiar. Some coun-selors honestly felt that teaching should not be a part of theirprofessional role. Indeed, sometimes counselors becomecounselors to get out of the classroom, and do not relishgoing back. Additionally, the time repired to developcurriculum took longer than expected and required yearlychanges.

A few principals already had a set idea of what coun-selors should do in their buildings. These principals requiredmuch in-service and support to change their thinking aboutthe counselor's role. In one out of six schools, implementinga new program was found to be harder and required alengthy implementation time. Also, as administrativepersonnel changed, a continuing orientation program wasrequired to familiarize new people with this model.

1 et ft..x_ .1+ L)

125

The biggestchange for mostcounselorsinvolvedimplementing acurriculum. Thisobviously requiredgood teachingskills.


Future plansinclude moreinteraction withcommunityagencies andvolunteerprograms....

Counselors arerequired to domore than sit intheir offices andwait for a "sick"or "upset" studentto drop in.

Future Plans

The St. Joseph counseling program will put greateremphasis on career planning in the future. At the elementarylevel a shift in our curriculum to emphasize career aware-ness will be implemented. Middle school counselors willaddress the issue of career exploration by spending moretime on the individual planning component. High schoolstudents will develop a written career plan encompassingpost-high school expectations and a course of study directedtoward that expectation.

The St. Joseph School District is committed to providingthe at-risk student with more options. Counselors will bechairing the at-risk committee in each school building. Plansto help individual at-risk students will be developed at thebuilding level and programs to meet those plans will beinitiated.

Future plans include mere interaction with communityagencies and volunteer programs to better meet the needs ofSt. Joseph students. A realization that schools cannot doeverything for all students requires the participation of theentire community to meet student Leeds. More use ofstudents in peer support programs will expand the reach ofthe counselors.

Summary

A developmental program leads to a greater emphasis on acounseling curriculum, structured group experiences andsetting priorities for services and accountability. This type ofprogram tends to de-emphasize administrative and clericaltasks and one-to-one counseling. This type of program isproactive rather than reactive. Counselors are required to domore than sit in their offices and wait for a "sick" or "upset"student to drop in. They have a curriculum to implementand, therefore, are busy and not as available for clerical andadministrative duties. Counselors are still expected toprovide personal and crisis counseling but, in addition, theyare developing and initiating activities for the "normal"population. More exposure to all students and teachers isthus obtained and leads to positive public relations.

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in St. Joseph, Missouri 127

References

Carrol, M.R. (1980). Standards for guidance and counselingprograms. The School Counselor, 28(2), 81-85.

Gysbers, N. (1981). Improving guidance programs.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Gysbers, N., & Henderson, P. (1988). Developing andmanaging your school guidance program. Alexandria,VA: American Association for Counseling andDevelopment.

Hargens, M. (1982). Are school counselors essential orexpendable? Missouri Schools, 47(8), 8-11.

Hargens, M. (1987). Developing a comprehensive schoolcounseling program. NASSP Bulletin, 71, 10-14.

Johnson, J.T. (1985). Model counseling curriculum. TheInterviewerMissouri School Counselor Association,11(2), 6-13.

Johnson, J.T. (1986). Developing a counseling program.The InterviewerMissouri School Counselor Associa-don, 10(4), 11-15.

..1;.. . 0


Appendix ASample Middle School Program

(Johnson, 1985)

I. Curriculum Component - Mondays (20% of Time)

A. Classroom Presentations1. Find teachers willing to let you in the classroom2. Set all dates at beginning of school with emergency plans for crisis

B. Parent Calls

II. Individual Planning - Tuesdays (20% of Time)

A. Educational Counseling1. People who failet, last year2. People who receive progress reports

B. Vocational Counseling1. First Week of Month - A through F2. Second Week of Month - G through M3. Third Week of Month - N through T4. Fourth Week of Month - U through Z

C. Advisement - Same as above

D. Career Counseling - Same as above

III. Responsive Services - Wednesdays and Thursdays (45% of Time)

A. Individual Counseling - Wednesdays and Thursdays1. Conference slips2. Parent Referral3. Teacher Referral4. Principal Referral

B. Group Counseling - Wednesdays and Thursdays1. Divorce2. PRIDE Groups (Drug & Alcohol Program)3. Weight4. Grief5. Self-Esteem

The Comprehensive Guidance Program in St. Joseph, Mirsouri

C. Consultation -1. 1st Hour -2. 2nd Hour3. 3rd Hour4. 4th Hour

Gaines5. 5th Hour6. 6th Hour -7. 7th Hour -

ThursdaysClark, Conway, Levin, Shell

Magana- Grechus, Sybert, Murphy, Rost- Paolillo, Drake, Ward, Slaybaough, Fite, Sundell, Kvam,

129

- Bireline, Perry, Wiedmer, FlowersMorgan, Sarris, BarbosaBensyl, Roberts, Devore, Thomson

N. Systems Support - Fridays (15% of Time)

A. Testing1. Re-evaluations2. Referrals3. Gifted Program

B. Record Keeping1. Cumulative Folders2. Reports to Pri:Icipal3. Counseling Notebook4. Accountability Calendars

C. Planning

D. In-Service to Teachers

E. Curriculum Development

F. Research

G. Orientations

H. Registration

I. Counselor Advisory Committee - 10:15 monthly

Chapter 8

An Effective Guidanceand Counseling Programin Lincoln, Nebraska

John Dudley

The Lincoln School District provides services toover 26,000 students from u-ban homer represent-ing a broad spectrum of American society. In 1985the district's Guidance Study Committee adoptedthe Comprehensive Guidance Program Model.

Introduction

"If it's not broken, don't fix it." These were the words of"wisdom" spoken by one of our counselors as our schooldistrict began to examine our guidance and counselingprogram. Were we providing a program for all students?Was guidance and counseling an integral part of the instruc-tional program? Were students successful because of us, orin spite of us? Were the elements of our program consistentwith those of forward-reaching programs, or were wevictims of habit and what was comfortable? The questionsWere many.

The Lincoln, Nebraska Public Schools employ 44secondary counselors and 12 elementary counselors pro-viding services to over 26,000 students. Although our city issurrounded by agri-business, students attending our schoolscome from urban homes representing the broad spectrum ofAmaican society.

Were studentssuccessfulbecause of us, orin spite of us?

111


Review/Evaluation of Current Program

As the c-Junselors on the Guidance Study Committee, acommittee made up of a counselor representative from eachof our junior and senior high schools (our elementarycounseling program began after the initial study wascompleted), began the challenge of reviewing the guidanceand counseling program, they were faced with manyunanswered questions. The biggest question was how best toget information. Several options were reviewed. The time-honored method, a needs assessment, was the first to bediscarded. Why? It simply did not make sense to us to askpeople (parents and students) who knew little about the fieldof counseling what functions should be a part of a schoolcounseling program.

No, it was not easy to disregard the needs assessmentapproach. There was much discussion, at times heated,regarding the committee's desire to seek as much informa-tion as possible yet not be locked into tt traditional "stepone" in examining a guidance and counse .ng program.

We decided to ask How best to get information? We decided to ask ourour...counselors professionally trained, certified counselors with master'swith master's degrees what they thought an excellent guidance anddegrees what they counseling program model should look like. Should wethought an interview them, we wondered? "No," we decided, becauseexcellent actions speak louder than words. Thus began an intensiveguidance and counselor time-logging effort.counselingprogram model Logging of Timeshould look like.

The Guidance Study Committee adopted Norm Gysbers'Four-Category Counseling Model (Curriculum, Individua.Planning, Responsive Services, System Support) as anoutline for the togging effort. By using the Gysbers' Model,we were able to put a label on most of the "things" ourcounselors do. This was very helpful to our counselors isthey strove to log their time/activities in a consistentmanner.

Logging results were not alarming. Counselors werebusy; they were seeing students. Our logging format was notdesigned to tell us if we were seeing 15,000 differentstudents or the same student 15,000 times. As was expected,

An Effective Guidance and Counseling Program in Lincoln, Nebraska 133

counselors were spending the majority of their time inresponsive services, and the most neglected area wascurriculum. Two conclusions were clear: (1) our counselingprogram was primarily reactive, and (2) our counselingprogram was not an integral part of the instructionalprogram. Some of the questions raised were:

What should we do about what we learned?Does this mean our program is not effective?If we attempt changes, what should they be?How will we reach agreement on what we shoulddo?

One sometimes wonders how a group of caring,considerate, compassionate counselors can shed all of theirwarmth and do battle, at times heated, over what constitutesan effective guidance and counseling program. As thesaying goes "expect resistance to change, and appreciate thechalle..ges involved." We felt truly challenged.

Review of Data

As the Guidance Study Committee reviewed the data, aconcern arose about whether guidance and counselingprograms were for ALL students, or just those students whochose to participate or needed to participate in them. Wedecided that unquestionably guidance and counseling mustbe for ALL students. If we were going to provide a programfor ALL students, it was evident that we needed to makebasic changes in our current program. For example, weneeded to provide more guidance and counseling servicesoutside the confines of the Counseling Center. Our changeof terminology from counseling office(s) to counselingcenter(s) aided us, in some instances, in introducing aclimate for change.

Guidance and Counseling Plans

Our data also indicated that we did not have well-definedguidance and counseling programs in each of our schools.Yel, there was a program; yes, there was a plan; no, therewas not a formally "written down" well planned program.Our committee decided to have each school counseling staff

One sometimeswonders how agroup of caringconsiderate,compassionatecounselors canshed all of theirwarmth and dobattle....

We decided thatunquestionablyguidance andcounseling mustbe for ALLstudents.


submit a written guidance and counseling plan. The initialformat was loose, but each school was required to submittheir written plan in four program areas:

1. Curriculum2. Individual Planning3. Responsive Services, and4. Program Management (our term for Norm Gysbers'

System Support category).

Schools were asked to submit a plan only for what theywere currently doing, not for what they would like to do.

Assessment

It was now time for the Guidance Study Committee toassess what they had accomplished and determine the focusfor the next concentration of effort. Up until this point, thecommittee had a fairly detailed "polaroid" of the currentguidance and counseling program. We asked the question:"Is this the picture that will best meet the needs of ALLstudents?" and realized that our answer was: "Not withoutsome modifications."

The first modification the committee addressed was theissue of a results-based guidance and counseling program.

An issue that few An issue that few programs cwisider is: How are studentsprograms different as a result of coming in contact with counselors?consider is: How Sure, data said we saw students, but were they better offare students because of the experience? Even more importantly, whatdifferent as a skills did the students acquire, or should they acquire,result of coming because of counselors? Thus the decision was made to iden-in contact with tify specific student outcomes for grades 7-12.counselors?... The second modification was the result of looking atwere they better how counselors structure their time. The data said coun-off because of the selors were busy. Their day was full. If we were to beginexpo 'fence? looking at the skills students might acquire in working with

a counselor, the committee needed to explore how coun-selors would have the time to "teach" these skills (out-comes) to all students. We decided that to bring counselingunder the instructional umbrella, we must restructure howcounselors spend their time.

' Effective Guidance and Counseling Program in Lincoln, Nebraska

Restructured Models

Our district tried various restructuring models; some withlimited success, some with no success, and one that raisedmany an eyebrow. The most unusual restructuring model wecurrently use is in one of our high schools. In this highschool of 2,000 students, we do not assign students tocounselors! Students may choose any counselor they wish,and may be working with several counselors. The coun-selors have restructured themselves according to areas ofspeciality, e.g., scholarships, college entrance, careerplanning, personal counseling, peer helping, teen pregnancy,interest/aptitude testing, military opportunities andACT/SAT preparation/interpretation. Counselors alternatebeing on "response duty." The response counselor handlesall students who visit the counseling center, and makes surethey get the assistance they need. The "response duty"counselor also responds to all phone calls. This planallows counselors to spend more time out of the coun-seling center working with students in small groups and inclass settings.

We have found that it is important to provide a structurethat does not penalize a counselor for not being in his or heroffice. If being away form the office means returning to astack of phone calls that must be returned, a list of studentsthat need to be called in because they came to the coun-seling center when the counselor was away, and a pile ofnotes from teachers who visited the counseling centerlooking for a counselor, counselors will be reluctant to leavetheir offices. It's difficult to teach ALL students when themajority of the counselors' time is spent in their offices.To say that this structure has not met resistance in someother schools in our district is to say we never have severestorms on the plains of Nebraska. Our answer: Show thatyou are meeting the needs of ALL students with yourcurrent program structure, or restructure your program in away that delivers guidance and counseling outcomes andservices to Al .. students.

135

We have foundthat it is importantto provide astructure thatdoes not penalizea counselor fornot being in his orher office.


Building anddistrictadministratorsmust be involvedin programplanning to insuretheir support forthe plan....

Management ofpaper is acounselor's archenemy.

Current Program

Our program plan continues to be centered around studentoutcomes and basic features of each school's individualGuidance and Counseling Building Plan. All building planshave common elements which include: (1) the school'sguidance and counseling philosophy/purpose; (2) theoutcomes the school will be focusing on for the year; (3) aguidance calendar; (4) a detailed description of the curricu-lum, individual planning, responsive services and programmanagement activities; (5) a budget plan; (6) a programevaluation plan (see Appendix A). All building plans for thefollowing school year are due prior to the beginning ofsummer vacation, because our counselors have no extendedcontract time.

Guidance and counseling program plans are written incooperation with the building principal and must be signedoff by the principal, assistant principal, all counselors in thebuilding, the district director of counseling and the districtassociate superintendent for instruction. This procedureprovides "protection" for the counselors and requires theinvolvement of administrative staff. Building and districtadministrators must be involved in program planning toinsure their support for the plan, as well as their commit-ment toward program success.

The Time Factor

It seems that no matter how well people plan, the element nitime continues to be a determining factor for success. Asnoted earlier, data collected by the district indicated thatcounselors were busy. If we were to write plans and alterguidance and counseling programs, the time issue needed tobe resolved.

One method we decided to use to conserve time was toput a computer on every counselor's desk. Why computers?Management of paper is a counselor's arch enemy. Regis-tration, changing schedules, cumulative records, letterwriting and administrative paperwork all consume time andenergy, as well as desktop space.

Our counselors register and change schedules with theaid of the computer and use electronic mail to relieve tht,paperwork load. Our counselors use computer programs to

1 .", r:..4,.. . t)

An Effective Guidance and Counseling Program in Lincoln, Nebraska

write letters, keep "notes" about students and share studentinformation.

Another method many of our counselors use to conservetime is a guidance and counseling schedule. This scheduleenables counselors to better control their time. It provides a"lesson plan" for the counselor and serves as a means ofcommunication to students, teachers, administrators andparents regarding the counselor's plan for the week. Addi-tionally, the Counselor Schedule focuses attention on thecounseling plan, and not on the availability of the coun-selors. Counselors who have their days and weeks plannedhave fewer interruptions of a non-counseling nature and areless likely to be "available" to substitute for a teacher or runerrands for administrators and for all of the other non-counseling "time consumers" in a counselor's day.

A specific appraisal plan can also assist counselors insaving time. Changes in the Guidance and CounselingProgram require that counselors be evaluated differentlythan other instructional staff. School districts mustdevelop an evaluation model generic to counseling. (SeeAppendix B.) Using this type of evaluation providesadministrators and counselors with the opportunity to focuson guidance and counseling skills and away from typicalteacher skills. Yes, counselors are teachers in a very realsense of the word; but they do have different training anddifferent expectations than teachers. Because of this, theyneed and deserve a different appraisal process.

It is becoming increasingly evident in our school districtthat the change process for some counselors is glacial, whilefor others it is meteoric. Accepting this, and making it partof your district's plan for change, can be challenging. (Thcrapid movement of some school districts to site-basedmanagement may further slow the process.) But as chal-lenging as it may be, it is a fact to be reckoned with andsolved. Currently our district is exploring several solutions.

Keys to Program Change

We believe it is important to keep counselors focused onprograms that include ALL students. To follow through onthis theme, we are initiating a peer-review program thatpermits counselors to ask peers from schools other than their

1 7

137

...the CounselorSchedule focusesattention on thecounseling plan,and not on theavailability of thecounselors.

...in our schooldistrict...thechange processfor somecounselors isglacial, while forothers it ismeteoric.


Staff developmentis one of the mostimportant featuresin assisturcounselors....Counselors musthave virtuallyunlimitedopportunities toparticipate in staffdevelopmentexperiences.

"Expectresistance tochange andappreciate thechallengesinvolved." ..."andbe patient"...

own to visit their school and review their Guidance andCounseling Program. This not only assists the counselor inevaluating his or her own program, but it provides astructured opportunity for counselors in the district to visitother programs in the district and learn from thesevisitations.

Staff development is one of the most important featuresin assisting counselors, as well as all school staff, in re-establishing the skills that are essential if change is to occur.Counselors must have virtually unlimited opportunities toparticipate in staff development experiences.

Positive and energetic leadership at the buildinglevel, whether it be the principal, assistant principal or acounselor, is one of the key ingredients to a successfuloutcome-based guidance and counseling program. Leadersrequire staff development opportunities to interact withother leaders. The dynamics of leadership become stale in avacuum.

Recruiting counselors whose visions include guidanceand counseling programs that ser the needs of all studentsis of key importance. These individuals can be counselorscurrently on staff who are placed in leadership roles, orcounselors recruited from outside the school district. Theycan provide encouragement for those who are makingprogram adjustments, and assist in the change process.

As our district builds an outcome-based Guidance andCounseling Program in our elementary schools, it isexpected to influence our secondary guidance andcounseling programs. The program format as well as theexpectations of students, teachers, administrators andparents in elementary school guidance and counselingprograms frequentiy raise the expectation levels insecondary schools.

Conclusion

As was stated earlier, "11xpect resistance to change andappreciate the challenges involved." One might add "and bepatient" to this advice. Even though it may be easy to rallysupport for a guid,ince and counseling program that pro-vides better experiences for students; better services to both

1 : ri41. - I

A3 Effective Guidance and Counseling Program in Lincoln, Nebraska

tilt.. school community and the community at large; andbetter and more cost effective programs for students,teachers, admihistrators, and parents; Murphy's Law"ifsomething can go wrong it will"can still be a determiningfactor. Given the reality of this reality, districts must bewilling to set realistic time lines for change. However,school districts also must understand that the longer theydelay in fully implementing guidance and counselingprograms that are proactive, serve the needs of ALLstudents, teach students specific skills, provide a counselingcurriculum that is part of the school's instructional program,and offer guaranteed guidance and counseling services forstudents, the longer guidance and counseling will be viewedas an ancillary program that is not part of the mainstre. m ofeducation.

1:19

...districts mustbe willing to setrealistic time linesfor change.


Appendix A

Lincoln Public SchoolsCounselor Performance Summative Appraisal

NameSchool Year

School Grade/ Position

Status Probationary I 2 3 Permanent

CodeI= Unsatisfactory 2= Needs Improvement 3= Man District Expectation Circle tor) Check 0 if expectation is exceeded Use spaceon the right of each expectation for comments

Descnmon are not an exhaustive list Use () for each &sensor that supporua mark of I or 2 Use I+) for each descriptor that canvas charmexpectation

Montanan Dates. Conference Dun

1. COUNSELING SKILLSEXPECTATION I: The counselor demonstrates the ability to establish rapport with students, 1 2 3perm% prolessioalls and others in order to facilitate change.

O Zweads espielsden.

DesbNelding rapport may be dessesmoatad by die felleIng:

DESCRIPTORS: The camel=I. Smite' Ste sought out by students sad ahem2. Uses demon se handling confidential inforiasuoa3 Has individual and group aimed/es scheduled.4. Molds appropriate unerpersoul *Ws.

EXPECTATION 2: The counselor demoostrates the ability to Whisk varied counseling strategies 1 2 3to facilitate attitude and behavior thane.

CI Ems& ezpseloillen.

The shill, no Woe varied eannealing seralseles may be denionstrassd by the foliewlag:

DESCRIPTORS: The eousedorI Has individual andfer group counseling activitiss scheduled sad demonstrates success with

behavior modify:etas ceetrecuas esdist ether techniques.2. Stoma coalesce of appropriate SOMIGIMI armed at from couvaskaa contacts3. Foamed effective problem-solving techniques.

EXPECTATION 3: The counselor demoostratee competencies in group dynamics and is able tofacilitate attitude and behavior change In a group setting.

1 2 3

0 Isom* espeonwan.

Caseporery r be ismesdnded by the fellewinrprow illyosiodos say

DEltatlYT011s: The ceesedor.I. Demonstrates lutowledie of group proceduree, roles and dyasnico2. Forum and Getlitates group se macedary.

EXPECTATION 4: The counselor demonstrate* the ability to make appropriate referrals. 1 2 30 tunes apommee.

Making appreprlees reilarreh may be denineenuled by rho fellewhep

DESCRIPTORS: Tbe seemoor.I. Donoestrues ksowledte of referral process for in-school referrals.2. Demonstrates knovdedipt of omode aroma sad referral process2 Void outside referral wives when appropriate.


H. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SKII.LS-1EXPECTATION 5: The counselor ascertains, analyzes and prioritizes needs of students. I 2 3

Exeseds expatiation.

Aseertaking, sealynag and pmetutring the seeds of students may be demonstrated by the tultroving

DESCRIPTORS. The counselorI Has directed and/or partnipmed in needs.amessment activities.2 Demonstrates 'Mitt to address documented needs

EXPECTATION 6: The counselor demonstrates effective planning skills. I 2 3

Exceeds eeposiation.

Wing effective pluming skins may be deseaselnded by Me fallowing:

DESCRIPTORS: The counselorSelma. appropriate long-range goals

2 Writes °Neiman related to long-range go,.3 Includes coumelutg meihods and pram ores relevant to the obyertive4 Focuses on student outcomes

EXPECTATION 7: Sets gosh for the Guidance Program in terms of desired student outcomes.

Fatted, eapeetatloo.

Setting program goals ring student outcome may be ikumnstrated by the Mowing.

DESCRIPTOR& The counselor

I 2 3

I Demonstrates an awareness of requirements for promotion/ graduation2- Assumes responsibility for the three mayor guidance student-outcome arcs t c. Educational

Plannins, Career Planning. and PersoeallSocal Growth

EXPECTATION g: The counselor assists with development of materials and instructionalstrategies to meet student needs.

1 2 3

Exceeds expectation.

Developing material' ad helnietionel skate& may be demonstrated by the following.

DESCRIPTOR& The counselorI Demonstrates leadership in helping teachers and others identify =tenets end activities developed

to meet student needs2 Facilitates interrstion of career planning into the total Guidance Program

EXPECTATION 9: The counselor is aware of district and building policies and requirements and 1 2 3Integrates them into the prog.an.

Exceeds espeetatlon.

Awesome and Integration of auk* and kildets polleks may be demonstrated by the following.

DESCRIPTOR& The counselorI Is aware of district policies relating to students2 Is aware of and performs duties within parameters of district policies and procedures3 Seeks counsel from others when unclear about what district polices and procedures require

EXPECTATION 10: The counselor demonstrates a knowledge of tests and testing in counseling. I 2 3

Exceeds eapeektIon.

Kaoarledge of tests ski *mks may be densonskated by the following

DESCRIPTORS: The counselorI Pas knowledge of achievement, interest and ability tests2 l e nitrates skills needed to evaluate appropriateness of various tests3 I to manage testing activities at own school level4 ..nstratts skills in test interpretation

An Effectit e Guidance and Counseling Program in Lincoln, Nebra.,k0 143

EXPECTATION II: The counselor interprets the Guidance Prog...- to appropriate individuals. I 2 3Erre eapsetatiee.

lelerpmeallea oldie CAlideete Possess may be demonstrated by the following

DESCRIPTORS The counselorI Seeks oppowunmes to explain be Guidance Program to lank,. patroh students and

COMIIIII1111) groom2 Is available to those who seek clarification concerning guidance-related minutes3 Common* seeks opportunities to make students aware el 'cruxes arailabk through Ike

Guiana and Counseling Depanmem

I III. PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS IEXPECTATION 12: The counselor is aware of trends and problems in sooty. 1 2 3

trash experstra.

pang In be deessasersled On following:awn of keens and peoligna society may by

Dominos& Tle estmeciorY. Is Wormed about curies' and contemporary problem.2 DOSOSSIIIIP awareness of social and cultural problems affirms' teen school and cismmunity

EXPECTATION 13: The counselor is aware of sew developments In the guidance profession. 1 2 3Erase% soprano&

Ammer develeprams Y eM be deetoeurard by eke following.el an proem polarise may

DUC21110131 The carrierI Anemia dares/ senuaanf workshops appropriate to needs and 'memo2 Seeks out bent formal and tarots...leap/nears designed meths= knowledge and skulls of the

Sri proformaEXPECTATION 14: The e0111M.:of Is aware of personal needs and maintains good physical andmental WWI.

1 2 3

Surds earmarks.

AMMONS a pineal& needs and good health may he slemoserated by the IltlibmIllt

DESCRIPTORS: The counselorI. Demons rates an awareness of the UMW 0( 05.1 physical and mental health2 Seeks appopnase counsel when memory3 Lam to *Shen who may observe needs and problems of which the counsel°. 4. unaware

r


General statements for Summative Appraisal including strength.. commendations. areas of improvement and recommended()Native j(s) for next year I Attach additional pages if needed

Appraiser Commen%

Appraise. Comments (optional)

Date of E. A Conference Appraisee's Signature

Appraise.% signature indkates that theappraisal conference has been held, and Appraiser's Signaturethat the appraise. has seen, but does notnecessarily concur, with this report.

Reviewed by: Asst. SuperintendentPersonnel Date

Personnel- While Copy. Appraise.- Yellow. Appraiser Pink

.4. 5 ' 40


Appendix B

1988-89GUIDANCE PLAN

Lincoln Public Schools, Lincoln, Nebraska

School

Principal Counselor

Assistant Principal Counselor

Director of Student Services Counselor

Associate Superintendent Counselorfor Instruction

Date Submutted

.4. 4

Counselor


I.

II.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

B/GPLAN7/SSGORD

TABLE OF cowsws

.4 .. ,

..i. . i;


GUIDANCE-COUNSELING PIULOSOPIIY/PUEPOSH

B/GPLANS/SSGORD

School

...e , I,. ' i j


STUDENT OUTCOMES

11/GPLAN9/SSCORD

'

School

(.1


D/GPLAN3/SSGOIU)

GUIDANCE/COUNSELING CALENDAR

School

-1 .---,,,

150 COMPRIRIENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

GUIDANCE CURRICULUM

Curriculum Area:

Subject Content:

Unit Title:

Student Outcome:

Grade Level: Number of Student. Served__ Time Required

Setting

Lesson Plan:

Reeource(s) Required:

Remits (Evaluation/Documentation) :

11/0PLAN2/SSGORD4/4/88

4.c`.


DD)IV (DUAL PLANNING

1. Major Activity:

II. Grade Level:

III. Resourco(a) Required:

IV. Time Frame:

V . Results (Evaluation/Documentation) :

VI. Student Outcome (If applicable):

II/GPLAN4/SSGOILD4/4/88

tf


RESPONSIVE SERVICES

1. Major Activity:

11. Grade Level:

III. Rasouree(s) Required:

AV. TIme FrA1110:

V. Results (Evaluation/Documentation):

VI. Student Outcome (If applicable):

II/GPLANS/SSGOED4/4/30

1 r1 p..s 0 t...)


PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

1

I. Major Activity:

II. Grade Level:

III. Ilcaourco(a) Required:

IV. Tina) Trams:

V. Results (Evaluation/Documentation):

VI. Student Outcome (if applicable):

B/GPLAN6/SSGORD4/4/88

n-1-:... i 11


Activity Title:

BUILDING GUIDANCE PLANBUDGET SHEET

Budget Year 19_ /_

Student Outcome (if applicable)

Target Population(s):

Time (Estimate amount required and of whom)

Beginning Data- Completion Date:

Rasourco(s) Requirod

Estimated Cost:

Person(s) Responsible:

Results (Evaluation/Documer Wien):

B/GPLANI/SSGORD4/4/88

-',' 1.i; , 4,


II/GPLAN/SSGOILD

APPENDIX

School

(OpUonal)

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Chapter 9

The Comprehensive GuidanceModel at Hillsboro High School

Gloria Morgan

Hillsboro High School has 1100 students in grades9-12. It is a rural school in close proximity to thelarge city of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1987 the schoolhired a consultant to plan, develop and implement aguidance program based on the ComprehensiveGuidance Model.

Introduction

The Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Model provides aframework around which districts can create a guidanceprogram to meet their own specific needs. I first becameinvolved with the Missouri Mode! several years ago when Iwas invited by the Department of Elementary andSecondary Education (DESE) to participate as a member ofthe steering committee. The task of this committee was tostudy the feasibility of implementing such a model state-wide. Strategies, guidelines and other materials weredeveloped to assist schools who would be participating inthe program.

I have implemented the Missouri Model in two schools.My first experience was with a school selected to rilot theprogram, Clearwater High School in Piedmont. Missouri.Clearwater is a small rural district with only elle counselorfor grades 9-12. The transition from the existing program

1 1-", I.1..( 9 it

The MivsouriComprehensiveGuidance Modelprovides aframeworkaround whichdistricts cancreate a guidanceprogram to meettheir own specificneeds.

157


My experiences atClearwater mademe realize thatgood programscan get better andmy commitment totie success of theMissouri Modelbecame stronger.

was easy because it was a restructuring process of an al-ready successful program. The only weakness in the existingprogram was the lack of guidance curriculum with a definedscope and sequence of activities. C...,sroom activities weretaking place but they were not being done systematically.The curriculum was redefined and percentages of time spentin other guidance activities readjusted. In addition to hetask of defining a scope and sequence of activities, it wasnecessary to spend a considerable amount of time docu-menting the program in writing. The transition to theMissouri Model was smooth due to total administrativesupport as well as very little resistance from the faculty. Myexperiences at Clearwater made me realize that good pro-grams can get better and my commitment to the success ofthe Missouri Model became stronger.

I then accepted a position at Hillsboro High School inHillsboro, Missouri and was appointed to plan, develop andimplement a comprehensive program. Hillsboro is locatedjust south of St. Louis, Missouri in Jefferson County, whichis the second fastest growing county in the state. A largepercentage of the parents commute to jobs in St. Louis.Hillsboro could be considered a rural school although it is inclose proximity to a major city. It is a large district, coveringover 175 square miles. The senior high school has approxi-mately 1100 students in grades 9-12. Hillsboro, like manyother schools in M.: area, did not have a well-definedguidance program prior to the implementation of the Model.Their guidance staff spent an excessive amount if time onscheduling and record keeping. Large blocks of time werespent working with a small number of students. The depart-ment was viewed by students, parents and teachers asadministrative with scheduling the major function.

Expect Resistance to Change

In addition to implementing the Missouri Model, my f sttask was to overcome the negative image of the guidancedepartment. Because the guidance department lackedcredibility with students, parents and teachers, the adminis-tration realized it would take a strong commitment on theirpart to make the program a uccess. I looked forward to the

The Comprehensive Guidance Model at Hillsboro High School 159

challenge, despite the initial obstacles, because I could seethat many of the necessary assurances for programimplementation were pr.-sent.

My first challenge at Hillsboro was to "sell" themodel to the other counselors in the department. As withany successful program, the people operating it must feelsome ownership. Past experience had convinced me that theModel is very effective in meeting student needs andproviding accountability. Because of my enthusiasm I madethe mistake of assuming that Hillsboro counselors would beas excited as I was about implementation of the Model.Since many people do resist change, I anticipated somephilosophical differences but I underestimated the extent ofthe resistance. These philosophical differences created asituation that has taken long hours of discussion and achange in staff to resolve.

An inservice workshop for teachers was the nexttask. It is essential that the v -,ulty understand and supportthe purposes and objectives of the ComprehensiveGuidance Program. Most of the faculty were enthusiasticalthough there was some skepticism from teachers who hadnever had the opportunity to teach in a school with a well-defined guidance program. While many did recognize theneed for the program and expressed support for the concept,others had ling considered counselors to be administratorsand schedulers. Many were concerned about the idea ofcounselors using their classroom time for the guidancecurriculum activities.

Develop a Public Relations Program

The next step was to inform students, parents and thecommunity about the proposed changes for the guidanceprogram. Convincing parents and students of the value of acomprehensive program was no problem. They were eagerand supportive of the concept. A variety of strategies wereused to disseminak information. Two workshops wereheld for all ninth graders and their parents. One workshopwas an orientation to high school, the other workshopdeveloped a four-year plan. Speaking at local civic clubsand organizations also provided an avenue for informing the

My first challengeat Hillsboro wasto "sell" themodel to the othercounselors.

It is essential thatthe facultyunderstand andsupport thepurposes andobjectives of theComprehensiveGuidanceProgram.


A local newspaperdid an article onthe MissouriModel and howHillsboro wasplanning toimplement theprogram.

Assessment ofhuman . esources,which includescounselors andclerical staff, isperhaps the mostcritical data to begathered.

community. A local newspaper did an article on theMissouri Model and how Hillsboro was planning to imple-ment the program. A local television station also featuredthe changes in the Hillsboro Guidance Department.

After the initial public relations activities and Liforma-lion gathering, a serious assessment of the current programbegan. This was especially important to help the entireguidance staff understand the actual structure of the existingprogram, and also to help show others the current status ofthe program. The assessment was used as a baseline to makedecisions for the new program. At this point an advisorycouncil ,-.Ts formed to provide input into the new programdesign.

Assessing the Correia Program

Assessing available resources, boti. tuirnan and financial,is a necessary step when implementing a new guidanceprogram. Assessment of human resources, which includescounselors and clerical staff, is perhap the most criticaldata to be gathered. Hillsboro has three ulltime counselors.In actuality, these counselors were not working fulltime onguidance activities because several non-guidance activitieswere assigned to them. A guidance secretary was also con-sidered to be fulltime but had other responsibilities thatfrequently took her out of the office. An inventory ofavailable materials is also necessary. Hillsboro had fewmaterials and most of what they had was outdated. Theyalso suffered from a shortage of necessary equipment.

It is essential to complete a time and task analysis inorder to determine how counselors are spending their timein guidance as well as in non-guidance activities. We agreedto use the form provided by the Missouri DESE for our timestudy. In order to get an accurate picture of how counselorswere spending their time, we decided to keep track of timeone day a week. We began recording on Monday of the firstweek, 'Tuesday of the second week, Wednesday of the thirdweek, Thursday of the fourth week and Friday of the fifthweek. Beginning with the sixth week, we repeated theprocess for the remaining weeks of the school year. We useda form with l5-minute time intervals. The results of the time

v


study were not surprising. Little time was being spent onguidance curriculum and considerable time was being spenton system support and non-guidance activities. None of theareas were near the percentages recommended by theModel.

The guidance faculties at Hillsboro are adequate but notideal. There are individual offices and a reception area butr.o space is available for group activities, and a limitedamount of room is available for career materials. Thedistrict is, however, in the process of building a new facility.Ninth graders will be moved to another building and it ishoped that this will help create the desired space.

A needs assessment was next in the planning process.The Missouri Model includes an instrument to use in sur-veying students, parents and teachers. This step is necessaryin helping counselors to identify the program categories andcompetencies thought to be important. The needs assess-ment provides other necessary baseline information to use inthe new program design. The guidance curriculum isorganized around three major areas: career planning andexploration, knowledge of self and others, and educationaland vocational development. The needs assessu.:nt iden-tified competencies in these areas that students, parents andteachers believed Hillsboro students needed to master.Approximately 50 percent of the students and parents aswell as the entire faculty were surveyed. These results,along with results from an informal needs assessment andthe advisory council, were used to determine the initialguidance curriculum. Necessary materials were ordered tosupplement other resources. The guidance staff determinedthat some of the identified competencies could be metthrough individual planning activities and did notnecessarily have to be incorporated into the curriculum.

Developing the Guidance Curriculum

After the competencies were identified an attempt was madeto determine where these competencies would best blendinto the total school curriculum. The guidance curriculummust be sequential with specific competencies introduced atcertain grade levels. At Hillsboro this is not an easy task.

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Little time wasbeing spent onguidancecurriculum andconsiderable timewas being spenton system supportand non-guidanceactivities.


The ninth graders are required to take American History andthe tenth graders to take World History. However, eleventhand twelfth graders do not have any required classes. This isa frustration we are still attempting to resolve. We useclasses where we can reach as many upperclassmen as pos-sible, but we still do not reach 100 percent of these students.

In the initial planning stages of the curriculum it is bestto concentrate on departments and/or teachers who are

If possible, it is cooperative. If possible, it is advantageous to plan the entireadvantageous to year's curriculum in advance. The more notice a teacher isplan the entire given, the greater the possibility of using their class time.year's curriculum When taking over classes for an entire day, the counselors atin advance. The Hillsboro ask the teacher to stay in the classroom for at leastmore notice a one class period. They are invited to stay and participate theteacher is given, entire time if they like. It is important that the teacherthe greater the understand 'he objectives of the activity.possibility of At Hillsboro we have found the curriculum to be theusing their class most difficult part of the program to implement. Some of thetime. barriers already mentioned include the lack of a common

class taken by all students at a certain grade level, another isteacher reluctance to give up class time. As in most schools,the teachers are expected to cover a certain amount ofmaterial. Some teachers view the guidance curriculum asone of the many interruptions that keep them from main-taining their schedules. Ic is critical to seek administrativesupport, be as well organized as possible, and give theteachers as much advance notice as possible. Counselorsmight also point out to teachers how the competencies in theguidance curriculum can tie into some of their curriculumgoals. While curriculum is difficult to implement and doesmeet with some resistance, many teachers understand theneed for the students to have such c apetencies and areexcited about the activities.

implementation of the individual planning, responsiveservices and system support components has been lessdifficult than implementation of the curriculum component.The non-anidanre activities are being eliminated from thecounst. 3 work load. One must remember that it takes timefor the administration to reassign some of these non-guidance activities. Our building principal does understandthe goals of the program and is committed to helping makethe necessary changes.


Peer Helping/Tutoring

A peer helping group was started in the senior high schooland has been very effective. The high school students parti-cipate in a variety of activities with perhaps the most visiblebeing the classroom units they present to the elementarygrades. These units cover such topics as friendships, self-esteem, peer pressure, and drugs. They also work in theguidance center to assist other students with various careermaterials and equipment. When new students enroll theyescort them to their classes and to lunch, make sure they geton the right bus, and offer them any other help they mayneed. We also have peer tutoring which provides a muchneeded service. These two programs have been wellreceived and have created positive public relations.

Advisement Program

Our goals for next year include plans for an advisoryprogram that will operate with a homeroom system. Eachday will begin with a short homeroom. Each student will beassigned a faculty member who will be their homeroomteacher/advisor all during high school. The homeroomteacher/advisor will have a folder for each of their advisee'sand it will include achievement test scores, an interestinventory, a copy of the four-year plan, career plans, therequired courses the student has successfully completed andother relevant information. The homeroom teacher/advisorwill have the opportunity to know the student personallywhich will be very beneficial when scheduling classes.During enrollment, blocks of time will be arranged to allowadvisors the necessary time to discuss enrollment pro-cedures with the student. For example, first hour classesmay be cancelled for the day and the student will stay inhomeroom the entire first hour. The advisor will explain anddiscuss the curriculum, prerequisite courses and graduationrequirements. During the next advisement meeting theadvisor will assist students in completing a preliminaryschedule to take home for parent approvaa. This process willmake the scheduling of classes much more personalized andtime efficient. We believe the advisement program will be

$ 0

A peer helpinggroup was startedin the senior highschool and hasbeen veryeffective.

The homeroomteacher /advisorwill have theopportunity toknow the studentspersonally.

164 COMPREHENSIVE C MANCE PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Evaluation helpsus to determine ifthe students arereceivingmaximum benefitsfrom the programand also helps todemonstratecounseloraccountability.

helpful for all students and especially helpful in identifyingand monitoring the "at-risk" student.

Future Goals

Other plans include making a video of the 4-year planprocess. The completion of a well-thought-out 4-year plan isinvaluable for students. Although we offer two eveningmeetings for parents and students as part of the plan,participation is less than desired. Our goal is to make avideo avadaLle for students to check out and take home sothey can complete the plan with their parents.

Continuing to improve the guidance curriculum struc-ture and to devise a more systematic method for activities atall grade levels will be under study. We will also continuewith an ongoing evaluation procedure as it is critical tothe success of the program. Evaluation helps us to deter-mine if the students are receiving maximum benefits fromthe program and also helps to demonstrate counseloraccountability.

While our guidance program is still very much in a stateof change and revision, we can see tremendous progress.Students, parents and teachers seem to be pleased with whatis taking place. Our administration is supportive and isworking cooperatively with us. Old beliefs are difficult tochange and generally require proof that new concepts dowork. We feel we are providing that proof at Hillsboro.

Concluding Thoughts

As a comparison of Clearwater and Hillsboro illustrates,implementation of a Comprehensive Guidance Program willbe a very different experience depending on the existingprogram. It is important that a district be realistic inassessing "where they are" before determining "where theywant to be." Everyone involved in implementation mustunderstand that the transition from an unstructured programto a comprehensive program is both complex and difficultand requires time and perseverance.


Based on my experience I offer the following adv'ee thatI believe is important when implementing a comprenensiveguidance program (regardless of the settings): (1) Set realis-tic goals. Allow three years for implementation. (2) Makesure you have the support of your administrators because ifyou do not the task will be impossible. (3) Expect resis-tance. (4) Develop and implement a public relations pro-gram to gain support. (5) Use effective time managementstrategies. (6) When implementing a guidance curriculumconcentrate on teachers who are cooperative. (7) Commu-nicate results. (8) Do not get discouraged.

Time, patience, and hard work will result in a programthat demonstrates counselor accountability and providesmaximum benefits for all students.

Set realistic goals.Allow three yearsfor implemen-tation....Expectresistance.

Chapter 10

Afterthoughts

Norman C. Gysbers

Guidance and counseling has evolved from the turn of thecentury emphasis on vocational guidance (with a selectionand placement focus), through the personal adjustment em-phasis of the 1920s and 30s (organized around a counselor-clinical-service model with a focus on position), to thepresent day emphasis on development (organized as a com-prehensive guidance program). The selection, placement,and adjustment emphases remain but are now incorporatedwithin the concept of development. Today, the comprehen-sive guidance program is replacing the counselor-clinical-services model: Programs are encompassing positions.

This book, through its discussion of eight state and localschool district guidance programs, both documents andhelps us to understand these changes that are occurring inthe organization of school guidance. Ills book is a sourceof ideas, resources, and procedures to help state and localguidance and administrative personr.el remodel and revital-ize guidance in their schools.

My intent in the next few pages is to bring into sharpfocus several key points from among the many identified bythe contributors to this book. These points have substantialimpact on how guidance programs are developed andmanaged.

173

Today, thecomprehensiveguidance programis replacing thecounselor-clinical-servicesmodel: Programsare encompassingpositions.

167

168 COMPREIENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS : -IAT WORK

Position to Program

The change from position to program as the basic organizerfor guidance in the schools represents a major paradigmshift for school counselors. The traditional organizer, thecounselor- clinical- services model, featured the concept ofposition with specific attention to role and function issues.The new organizer, the program concept as described in thisbook, emphasizes the work of school counselors as well asother professionals, features four program components andtheir guidance and counseling activities, and uses theseprogram components to organize and allocate counselortime to insure a 100 percent program.

Program Axioms

The change from position to program as the basic organizerfor guidance in the schools requires a clear understanding ofthe five basic axioms upon which the program concept forguidance rest:

First, guidance is First, guidance is a program. As a program, it hasa program. Asa characteristics similar to other programs in educationprogram, it has including:characteristics

a. learner outcomes (competencies) in such areas assimilar to otherprograms in self - knowledge and interpersonal relations, decision

education.... making and planning, and knowledge of life roles,life settings, and life events;

b. activities and processes to assist learners to achieveoutcomes such as these;

c. professionally certified personnel; andd. materials and resources.

Second, guidance and counseling programs aredevelopmental and comprehensive. They are develop-mental in that guidance activities must be conducted on aregular and planned basis to assist young people to achieveguidance competencies. Guidance program arecomprehensive in that a full range of activities and servicesare provided including assessment, information, counseling,consultation, referral, placement, follow-up, and follow-through.

Third, guidance programs focus on individuals'competencies, not just their deficiencies. For many, themajor focus of guidance programs remains the problemsindividuals have and the obstacles they face. While thisemphasis will always be important, it should not be thedominant emphasis: Too often attention focuses on what iswrong with individuals, not what is right. Obviously,problems and obstacles need to be identified and reme-diated, but they should not overshadow the existing orpotential competencies of individuals. A major emphasis inguidance and counseling programs should be on helpingindividuals identify the competencies they already have andthen assisting them to develop new or. s.

Fourth, guidance and counseling programs are builton a team approach. A comprehensive, developmentalprogram of guidance and counseling is based on theassumption that all staff have guidance responsibilitiesrather than thinking it is all up to counselors. At the sametime, it should be understood that professionally certifiedcounselors are central to the program. They provide directservices to individuals as well as work in consultative andcollaborative relationships with other educators.

Fifth, guidance and counseling programs mandatearticulation. A basic assumption underlying comprehen-sive, developmental guidance programming is that there areeffective linkages among all grade levels, kindergartenthrough grade twelve. This means that there is programcontinuity; that activities begun in elementary school arecontinued, as appropriate, in the next grade levels. Thismeans that the school district's guidance staff meet on aregular basis and work together to manage and furtherdevelop the school district's comprehensive guidanceprogram.

Perseverance

The change from position to program requires perseverance.Samuel Johnson once said "Great works are performed, notby strength, but perseverance." The write. of the chaptersof this book have documented the importance o'perseverance as a quality required of counselors ant'

Afterthoughts 169

Too oftenattention focuseson what Ls wrongwith individuals,not what is right.

...there ispro'ramcontinuity...activities begun inelementary schoolare continued, asappropriate, in thenext grade levels.


1

...those who wantto change mustovercome theinertia of othersand he resistanceof those who wantto maintain thestatus quo.

administrators who are involved in the paradigm shift fromposition to program. Why perseverance? Because defini-tions of perseverance include such words as "remainingconstant in the face of obstacles or discouragement,""having continuing strength or patience in dealing withdifficulty," "steadfastness," and "adher.Ince to a goal in faceof opposition." Why perseverance? Because the transitionfrom position to program requires time to accomplishapproximately three years in most school districts. Whyperseverance? Because those who want to change mustovercome the inertia of others and the resistance of thosewho want to maintain the status quo.

Leadership

Remodeling and revitalizing guidance in the schools,requires professional guidance leadership at the highestlevels in state and local education agencies. Successfulleaders mus. maintain the vision needed to help theguidance program succeea in its mission, must uphold thebasic principles of the profession, must keep in touch wit4staff and those the program serves, must be able to managechange, must select good staff members and trust them tocarry out their roles, and must help them when they do not.

Without Without leadership, guide Ice is often forgotten andleadership, therefore lacks continuity and consistency in its actualguidance is often activities and services.forgotten andtherefore lackscontinuity and Concluding Thoughtsconsistency in itsactual activities A comprehensive program, by definition, leads to guidanceand services. activities and structured group experiences for all students.

It de-emphasizes administrative and clerical tasks, one-to-one counseling only, and limited accountability. It isproactive rather than reactive. For counselors there is aguidance r ,7ram to implement and, therefore, counselorsare busy and unavailable for unrelated administrative andclerical duties. Counselors are expected to do personal andcrisis counseling as well as provide structured activities forall students.

Being involved in improving a guidance program mayseem overwhelming, but the rewards are substantial. Morepride in being a counselor is evident. More support forguidance is generated because guidance is no longer seen asan ancillary service. And perhaps most important Students,parents, teachers, administrators, and the community areserved more effectively. These are the strong messagesbeing sent by counselors and administrators who are usingthe comprehensive guidance program approach in their:;chools.

Afterthoughts 171

Being involved inimproving aguidance programmay seemoverwhelming,but the rewardsare substantial.

Documents

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P**************************t tit* · mental approach to school guidance. Notable in his exposi-tion is his focus on a program rather than a services approach. In the services